The Gough Case
In the trial of Reginald Gough, found guilty of manslaughter, and his wife Esther sentenced to prison for neglect, much more was at stake than the condemnation of a singularly cruel foster-father and the unfortunate woman who was his wife. The killing of the 13-year-old boy Dennis O'Neill has thrown the limelight both on the defects of the system for dealing with children taken out of the care of parents and on the failure to apply the system which is supposed to exist. In the Dennis O'Neill case two local autho- rities were concerned—the Newport Education Committee, into whose care the O'Neill brothers were placed, and the Shropshire Education Committee, to whose area they were transferred when they went to Gough's farm. There was some difference of opinion between the authorities as to who should be responsible for inspection, and there was no inspection between August 23rd and December 20th. Although, as the result of a visit on that date, the immediate removal of Dennis was recommended, no steps were taken, and on January 9th he died. Statutory mica requiring that foster-children boarded out should be examined by a doctor were not observed, and there was no visit at the farm by the school attendance officer. Undoubtedly under war conditions there are exceptional difficulties, caused by the large numbers of children deprived of parental care, the dearth of suitable accommodation, and the over-working of officials. But even when all this has been taken into account the public will not be satisfied till a searching inquiry has been made into the procedure in this case, to show not only in what respects the authorities failed to discharge their duties, but also what further safeguards ought 'to be provided to ensure the proper care of children who are without parents or removed from them.
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