BETTY & WALTER ROE FROM NORWICH SENTENCED FOR ABUSE AND SEXUAL OFFENSES AGAINST FOSTER CHILDREN

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Norwich, a foster care couple, Betty and Walter Roe, have been sentenced to prison for their heinous treatment of vulnerable children under their care. The incidents, which spanned over several years, revealed a pattern of cruelty and abuse that has left a lasting scar on the victims and the local social services system.

Betty Roe, aged 64 and residing on Hall Road in Norwich, was sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of cruelty towards the children she was entrusted to care for. She had previously denied the charges of cruelty, which involved physical abuse and neglect. Her husband, Walter Roe, also aged 64, pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault and was sentenced to three years in prison. Additionally, Walter was ordered to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life, reflecting the severity of his crimes.

The court proceedings at Norwich Crown Court revealed harrowing details of the abuse inflicted upon the children. The jury heard testimonies that the girls had been beaten with various objects, including sticks, slippers, and brooms, in a manner that was both brutal and systematic. Prosecutor Stephen Spence described Betty Roe as someone who had falsely presented herself as a devout and respectable individual, hiding her true nature behind a facade of piety. Behind closed doors, however, she was accused of being deliberately cruel, often resorting to physical violence using whatever objects were at hand to punish the children.

The evidence presented also painted a picture of emotional and physical deprivation. The victims recounted being kept short of food, made to perform household chores to the point of exhaustion, and deprived of affection and care. The court heard that the children were essentially turned into