Sheffield incest case

Apparently unrepentant, he received 25 concurrent life sentences and is required to serve a minimum of fourteen and a half years in prison.

He used threatening behaviour to enforce the abuse, including beating the victims and pushing their heads close to a gas fire so they were scorched if they moved away.

The women said that while his imprisonment gave them the knowledge that he could not physically touch them again, the suffering he caused would continue for many years and they now had to concentrate on finding the strength to rebuild their lives.

[8] Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister at the time, responded to the concerns of MPs from Sheffield, including Nick Clegg the leader of the Liberal Democrats, and David Blunkett by saying he was "outraged at the unspeakable abuse committed", and any changes to the system that were needed would be made.

The case had gone undetected by social services agencies, schools and hospitals, despite the numerous pregnancies, and despite the girls at times having unexplained injuries.

Social workers stated that because the father moved the family so often, the girls had little opportunity to form close relationships with teachers, other professionals, or anyone else, reducing the chance of the incest being disclosed.

[3] The family doctor who failed to recognise the signs had already been suspended by the GMC four years before, due to his falling below the minimum standard to the extent that he was exposing patients to risk.

[4] Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated that the whole country was appalled at the crime and the many chances there may have been for the abuse – which continued for 28 years – to be stopped.

[citation needed] The father was said by his sister-in-law to have been motivated in part by wanting to keep for himself the money paid to him by the state in welfare benefits for the numerous children.