Foster Parents Sentenced for Child Abuse
The brother of a notorious Glasgow crime family leader and his wife have been sentenced to 30 months in prison for abusing foster children under their care.
The BBC has confirmed that Douglas Daniel, aged 77, is the elder brother of the late Jamie Daniel, who police believe led the crime clan prior to his death in 2016.
In January, Douglas Daniel and his wife Barbara Daniel, 76, were found guilty of abusing six foster children aged between four and 14 at their Glasgow Parkhead home during the period from 1986 to 1991.
Victims testified that the couple, now residing in Kent, England, subjected some children to cruel acts such as forcing them into an animal pen, ordering one child to bathe in a bird bath, and making another eat a cow tongue.
'Cruel, degrading and humiliating'
Public records reviewed by the BBC confirm Douglas Daniel is the older brother of the deceased gangster Jamie Daniel, who passed away from cancer in 2016.
Authorities believe Jamie Daniel headed an organised crime group involved in drug trafficking and violence in Glasgow for many years.
The Daniels, who have fostered approximately 100 children over time, denied the abuse allegations but were convicted on six counts of cruel and unnatural treatment of a child at Glasgow Sheriff Court in January.
During sentencing on Monday, Sheriff Louise Arrol stated:
You robbed them of their childhood.
You were in a position of trust, apparently safeguarding vulnerable children.
The behaviour that you engaged in towards the children in your care was cruel, degrading and humiliating.
Following the initial trial, the BBC revealed that when Douglas Daniel was approved as a foster parent in 1986, he already had 26 previous convictions, including offences such as housebreaking and car theft.
Sheriff Arrol remarked:
It is quite remarkable that you were considered fit to foster any children.
During the trial, a 47-year-old man who had been placed in the Daniels' care as a child described Barbara as the "boss" and Douglas as a "scary physical man."
The court heard that the Daniels subjected the children, placed with them as emergency placements for their protection, to emotional, physical, and psychological abuse.
Some victims reported being deprived of food, with one stating she resorted to eating from the kitchen floor.
Sheriff Arrol praised the victims' courage for coming forward, stating:
The lifelong effect is unquantifiable. These children were in desperate need of nurture, care, and love.
Depriving them of this has resulted in a myriad of life changes. The impact on each of them is absolutely clear.
Documents obtained by the BBC indicate that Glasgow City Council's social work department was aware of allegations against the Daniels as early as 1999.
One victim previously told the BBC that it represented a "severe failure of social work" to place vulnerable children with a who had an extensive criminal record.
'Significantly improved'
Following sentencing, two victims issued a statement expressing that the conviction provided them with validation but they continue to seek answers regarding why they were placed with a foster parent who had a history of dishonesty.
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said:
We offer our sincere apologies to anyone who experienced abuse while in local authority care.
We expect all carers to provide a nurturing and safe environment for children and young people.
We can however provide assurance that practice standards and foster care approval arrangements have significantly improved since the 80s and 90s, with far greater oversight and more rigorous assessments in place.
Additional reporting by Social Affairs correspondent Chris Clements.
