MARK TAFFEES SALFORD CHILD ABUSE CASE SHOCKS COMMUNITY

In March 1998, a heartbreaking case unfolded in Salford that left the local community and the victim’s family devastated. A mother, whose identity remains protected for legal reasons, publicly expressed her profound anguish and frustration after a court decision allowed her daughter’s abuser to walk free with only probation. The perpetrator, Mark Taaffe, aged 25, was found guilty of molesting her five-year-old daughter at his mother’s residence in Salford, Lancashire, where she was visiting her foster sister who had Down’s Syndrome.

Taaffe’s crimes spanned over a year, during which he repeatedly engaged in acts of gross indecency against the young girl. Despite the severity of his actions, the court sentenced him to a period of probation rather than imprisonment. Judge John Burke QC, presiding over the case at Manchester Crown Court, justified his decision by asserting that the child had not suffered permanent damage. However, this conclusion was met with fierce opposition from the mother, who broke down in tears as she voiced her disapproval.

She passionately argued, “That judge does not know the facts – he’s totally out of touch. My little girl is still waking up with nightmares. How can he say that she has not been traumatised?” Her words reflected the deep emotional scars her daughter was still bearing. The mother also criticized the handling of the case by social services and law enforcement, stating, “The judge, social services, and police have all let us down. Taaffe has abused my daughter and he walks free from court. All his punishment is that he has lost his job. It’s a sick joke.”

She further revealed that during police interviews, her daughter, who was too young to fully understand the gravity of the situation, did not realize her innocence had been stolen. “When the police interviewed my daughter on tape, she did not even know what Taaffe did was wrong. She was embarrassed and would not talk because she said it was rude,” she explained. The mother expressed her outrage that authorities interpreted her daughter’s silence and lack of tears as evidence of no trauma, which she strongly disagreed with, emphasizing, “It stinks – he stole my child’s innocence.”

Taaffe, a van driver by profession, committed his crimes at his mother’s home in Salford, where she was acting as a foster parent providing respite care for children with disabilities. The mother was caring for her daughter’s sister, who has Down’s Syndrome, at the time of the abuse. The assault occurred secretly when the young girl arrived with her mother to visit the handicapped girl, catching Taaffe in the act.

Prior to this incident, police checks in 1991 had revealed no convictions for Taaffe, who was then living with his mother. However, he had a criminal record by 1995, having been convicted of common assault on a woman and receiving a 12-month conditional discharge. In January 1997, he was convicted again for assault, this time on a man, and was given an eight-month suspended sentence. Law enforcement officers involved in these cases were unaware of his mother’s role as a foster parent, and consequently, no alerts were issued to social services.

Taaffe’s arrest came after his mother grew suspicious and reported her concerns. Initially denying the allegations, he eventually pleaded guilty to two charges of gross indecency on the day his trial was scheduled to begin. Notably, the court was not informed of his previous convictions during the proceedings. During sentencing, the mother’s plea for a harsher punishment was ignored. Judge Burke sentenced Taaffe to three years’ probation, ordered him to register as a sex offender, and mandated treatment for his paedophile tendencies.

Following the sentencing, the mother described the profound impact on her family. “It’s affected my relationship with my husband and totally devastated my family,” she said. “I have good and bad days. Sometimes I can be just washing the dishes and my mind wanders, and I think about what he has done, and I start crying.” She recounted how Taaffe had cunningly carried out the abuse, hiding it while she was downstairs talking with his mother. “While I was downstairs drinking tea and chatting, Taaffe was abusing my daughter upstairs,” she revealed. “It is just unbelievable.”

She also reflected on her daughter’s change after the abuse. “She used to be a very bright young girl, very quick and straight into everything. But after the abuse, she just fell to pieces,” she lamented.

Judge Burke, who has three daughters himself, explained that he carefully reviewed the police interviews with the young girl. He stated, “I look for trauma, and I see none. She appears to be a self-confident little girl – every picture tells a story.” Despite the mother’s protests and emotional testimony, the judge maintained his stance, emphasizing that the victim’s apparent resilience and the possibility of rehabilitating Taaffe justified the probation sentence. “Having been advised that the complainant was not traumatised and the defendant can be weaned away from this sort of behaviour, I stand by my recommendation of three years’ probation,” he concluded.

In response to the case, social services have launched an inquiry aimed at tightening vetting procedures for foster carers and those involved in child care. The community remains shaken by the case, and many are calling for more stringent measures to protect vulnerable children from predators like Mark Taaffe in Salford and beyond.