CCTV shows abuse of autistic children at London school, watchdog appalled

London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – CCTV footage from a Whitefield School in London reveals severe abuse of autistic children, including isolation in padded rooms and neglect, sparked outrage among parents and safeguarding experts.

According to CCTV footage obtained by the BBC, autistic children at a London school are being subjected to physical restraint, isolation, and left in vomit, highlighting severe mistreatment.

A safeguarding expert called the CCTV footage from Whitefield School in north-east London “torture,” exposing the grim reality of what students faced.

Although a police investigation into the abuse footage from Whitefield School’s “calming rooms” between 2014 and 2017, closed without charges, parents are left with the emotional trauma.

The school states that the new leadership discovered the footage after the rooms were closed and reported it to the police. 

As reported by the BBC, approximately 40 children with learning disabilities and severe mental disorders were isolated in the rooms for hours, without food and drink. 

BBC claimed that six families have agreed to show the footage, with the hope of exposing the scale and severity of the trauma their children experienced, feeling misled about the situation.

The videos reveal non-verbal pupils in acute distress, with many injuring themselves for extended periods. 

According to the footage seen by the BBC, the staff at the Walthamstow school only act when a boy throws his shoes at the CCTV cameras, with one assistant appearing to strike him. 

“It broke my heart,” said the mother of one of the abused children after watching the CCTV for the first time. “You wouldn’t even do that to a dog.”

After the leaked CCTV footage, the Children’s Commissioner for England has demanded an urgent review of the use of restraint methods and “claiming rooms.”

Rachel de Souza from the children’s commissioner stated, “The experiences of these children are absolutely appalling. My heart goes out to them and their families. No child should ever be physically restrained under such conditions and with such a lack of compassion, especially those who are so vulnerable.”

Evidence of mistreatment in seclusion rooms at multiple UK schools has been found by the BBC, including an incident where an autistic child was kept in a cage. 

The BBC stated that since beginning their investigation, they have obtained leaked documents from the school and council and interviewed 17 of the 39 affected families.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a local MP, said the Whitefield School footage “must lead to profound change,” describing it as “jaw-dropping.”

Elizabeth Swan, a safeguarding expert, described it as “easily the worst footage” she had witnessed.

She added, “You look at the children and they’re being defeated and responding to that treatment with self-injurious behaviour, it’s torture.”

The UK’s government announced they are reviewing guidance that requires the removal of disruptive pupils in England to be for a “limited” time and kept in “suitable” facilities. 

The prime minister’s official spokesperson stated, “As everyone would agree this is a horrendous case that has clearly caused significant harm to vulnerable children and it must never happen again.”

He added, “The Department for Education will closely examine the findings of the investigations as soon as they are available. The department is looking at strengthening the guidance and will set out more information in due course.”

Whitefield School, London had an “outstanding” rating until 2017 when an Ofsted inspection revealed the use of bare, padded rooms to isolate children. Three years ago in 2021, a box of USB drives was found, containing extensive footage of pupils in the seclusion rooms. 

As part of the investigation, police examined more than 500 hours of CCTV footage and sent files to the Crown Prosecution Services. The CSP later stated that no further action would be taken due to insufficient proof. 

The Metropolitan police spokesperson said, “We continue to look at information connected to alleged abuse at a school in Walthamstow between 2014 and 2017 … We are committed to keeping children safe and protecting vulnerable people from harm and will investigate all reports of abuse and neglect.”