Andrew Hadwin who abused and starved children was reported to cops by girl in 2015 — THREE YEARS before official probe — but they took no action
If you or anyone you know suspects child abuse, you are urged to immediately call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential and the hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND: Andrew Hadwin, who tortured four children with his partner Cheryl Pickles, could have been apprehended many years ago if prosecutors had taken prompt action. One of his victims reportedly had told the authorities in 2015 that Hadwin had sexually abused her but no action was taken. The 39-year-old pedophile was found dead in his prison cell earlier this month while awaiting sentence for rape and mistreatment of the children with his partner.
The horror couple is said to have tormented the children by starving them, shutting them in a cupboard, feeding them soap, forcing them to shower in scalding water, as well as forcing them to stand in "stress" positions for hours on end. The malnourished minors reportedly walked miles to scaenge for food in supermarket bins. Furthermore, they were also forced to watch the suspects eat takeaway meals in front of them while they were deprived of food.
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According to the Daily Mail, Hadwin could have been stopped in 2015 itself, three years before the authorities actually launched the probe that brought him and Pickles to justice. Back in 2015, when a young girl had reported Hadwin to the police, the police reportedly sent a file to the Crown Prosecution Service, which decided there was "not a reasonable prospect of conviction" because the case amounted to the child's word against Hadwin's. However, had prosecutors taken due action, his victims could have avoided years of suffering.
"Even as recently as 2015 sexual allegations made by children were not viewed in the way that they are now by the authorities," Prosecutor Anne Richardson told the jury at his trial. The same child was reportedly interviewed again in 2019 after police opened a new inquiry into Hadwin and Pickles. The alleged victim made allegations of neglect, sexual abuse, and rape against Hadwin, who was eventually convicted of multiple offenses. However, the couple continued their disturbing mistreatment of the other children during the intervening period between police inquiries. One child was left with life-limiting injuries as a result of the abuse.
"The kids wouldn't have been abused if they had done something the first time he was reported," a family member told the Daily Mail. "If the authorities had done their job in the first place he would never have been near those kids. If there was enough evidence to convict him this time then surely there would have been enough evidence the first time?" The source described the mistreatment as "shocking and appalling" and said she had no idea of the couple's depraved activities. "In hindsight, it's upsetting to think good people were around them when they were starving and didn't know to help," the family member said, adding, "Children often complain of being hungry but you just put that down to being kids."
Last month, Hadwin was found guilty of three counts of rape, seven of child cruelty, and one count of perverting the course of justice at the end of a seven-week trial. Meanwhile, Pickles was convicted of five counts of child cruelty and one count of perverting the course of justice. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, there wasn't sufficient evidence to prosecute Hadwin earlier. "In September 2015, the Crown Prosecution Service received a file of evidence from Durham Police in relation to a complaint of sexual abuse against Andrew Hadwin," a CPS spokesman told the Daily Mail, "After carefully considering the evidence available to the CPS at that time, we took the decision that there was insufficient evidence to secure a realistic prospect of prosecution." He added, "As a result of the subsequent Durham Constabulary investigation into Andrew Hadwin, the CPS was presented with significant further evidence in June of 2018. We used this evidence to build a robust case against Hadwin, which we successfully prosecuted to secure multiple convictions relating to his criminal offending."