ABSTRACT
Wayne was four years old when his new ‘stepfather’ first abused him sexually. His natural father had left six months previously, following a relationship with Wayne’s mother characterised by absence, frequent drunkenness and unpredictable violence. Wayne’s mother also had a serious drinking problem and said she was unaware that her new partner had a previous conviction for the sexual abuse of an infant. The nursery reported their concerns to Social Services when Wayne became preoccupied with the genitals of other children whom he would invite into the toilet with him. His attempts to remove another child’s trousers led to complaints to his mother but no apparent action other than her rage with Wayne. The realisation of his mother’s partner’s conviction, together with her reluctance to give up the relationship, led to Wayne’s being removed into care. He was placed with temporary foster parents in a family where he was the youngest, and then with another family when the first found his sexually inviting behaviour towards the foster father too provocative and his attempts to insert objects in his anus too disgusting. Disclosure interviews were indecisive; there were no corroborating witnesses; no prosecution followed. No referral was made to any service for therapeutic work.
