'Few books have managed to get to the heart of a story of abuse as thoroughly and accurately as Abuse of Trust.' - CHRISTIAN WOLMAR, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR

'An important and in-depth analysis' - DR LIZ DAVIES, LONDON METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY, UK

For the first time in 18 years, the definitive account of one of Britain's worst child abuse scandals is re-published - with a new chapter looking at the role of the Labour MP Greville Janner.

Frank Beck sexually and physically abused more than 200 children while working as a residential care home manager for Leicestershire County Council. This book shows how he got away with it, after gulling social workers and council managers. Hundreds of children in the care of the local authority were damaged, and some tragically died. One is suspected, now, of being murdered.

Janner, a lawyer, backbencher and influential figure in Labour, repeatedly avoided prosecution for his involvement in the Leicestershire care scandal, despite being named as an abuser during the criminal case against Beck.

In an epilogue to this new, enlarged edition of this acclaimed book on the scandal, Paul Gosling deals with Janner's dominance of the local Labour Party, his influence within the wider parliamentary party and the failed police investigations into him. Abuse of Trust, first published in 1998, has long been viewed by social work professionals as an important audit of this case. Gosling and the BBC journalist Mark D'Arcy, his co-author, investigate how Beck and his cronies came to rampage through children's homes in Leicestershire for more than a decade.

Campaign in local, national and specialist media

About the Author

Mark D'Arcy is a parliamentary correspondent for the BBC and presents BOOKTalk on the BBC Parliament television channel. When Abuse of Trust was first published he was the BBC's local government and social affairs correspondent for the East Midlands, and a former political commentator for the Leicester Mercury.

Paul Gosling is an experienced journalist, author, researcher, lecturer, and broadcaster. He specialises in the economy, accountancy, the co-operative sector, public services and personal finances. A freelance journalist for 27 years, he has written for most quality UK and Irish national newspapers. He is a former Leicester City councillor.

Reviews

'Abuse of Trust looks at the case of the long dead Frank Beck, a charismatic social worker who got away with abusing possibly up to 200 children for two decades before finally being caught and convicted.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to remind themselves about sheer nastiness, brutality and cover ups that seem to dog this area.'

- DAVID HENCKE, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST, 'Abuse of Trust: A horrible reminder of a child sex scandal as the Jay inquiry prepares to examine Greville Janner', DavidHencke.com

'An important and in-depth analysis of one case among the many... involving members of the 'establishment', where child victims of sexual crime, adult survivors and those professionals supporting them have been silenced and denied justice.'

- DR LIZ DAVIES, EMERITUS READER IN CHILD PROTECTION, LONDON METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY, UK

'Few books have managed to get to the heart of a story of abuse as thoroughly and accurately as Abuse of Trust...

Its message is a chilling reminder of how charismatic abusers like Beck and, indeed, Savile, were able to operate so effectively and for so long in the system despite countless warning signs.'

- CHRISTIAN WOLMAR, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR

Book Information
ISBN 9780993040788
Author Mark D'Arcy
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Canbury
Publisher Canbury Press
Weight(grams) 418g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 135mm * 25mm