WESTFIELD CHILDREN’S HOME SCANDAL IN LIVERPOOL

Westfield was a local authority children's home housing 26 boys aged six to sixteen, most of whom came from troubled backgrounds. In September 1965, a young house master was convicted of buggery—before the offence of male rape was defined—and indecent assault on several of the boys. He was sentenced to four years in prison.

During the trial, the judge described the situation at the home as "shocking," prompting widespread public outrage in Liverpool. Many residents called for a public inquiry into the allegations. However, officials from the Home Office were not eager to pursue this publicly and were relieved when the local council chose to conduct a private inquiry instead, led by a QC, G W Guthrie Jones.

Guthrie Jones's investigation found that Westfield was a "well-run home" with high standards, regularly inspected by the Home Office, as was standard for such institutions. He revealed that some of the boys had engaged in sexual activity with one another previously, noting that the youngest boy had been "buggered" by other boys. The earliest recorded incident involving this boy dated back to 1962, when he was only eight years old.

The convicted house father, Guthrie Jones pointed out, had no prior record of homosexuality. "It is plain that if a man, particularly unmarried, lives in such a community the strictest supervision is required. Indeed, it is possible that such a man might himself be in one sense the victim of boys who had already been corrupted," he stated.

This comment highlights the vastly different attitudes toward such issues in the 1960s compared to today. The files also show that, despite this, some officials and police did make efforts to prosecute known abusers.

The sexual behaviors of the youngest boy at Westfield had been discussed among doctors and council officials the previous year. The council had even considered transferring him to another children’s home. However, they decided against it, citing concerns about "spreading" such behavior and the lack of suitable foster placements.

Guthrie Jones offered several recommendations, including the need for boys known to engage in homosexual practices not to share rooms, better staff recruitment and training, and increased involvement of doctors and specialists.

Councillor Jane Corbett, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, reflected on the case, saying, "This was a shocking and appalling case, and the way in which it was handled 50 years ago is a stain on the city’s child welfare record. There has rightly been a seismic shift in attitudes since then, along with the implementation of stricter safeguarding policies."