A CHILD safety campaigner last night accused Joanna Simons and Sara Thornton of lacking integrity for refusing to take personal responsibility for Oxfordshire County Council and Thames Valley Police’s failings.
Both women yesterday repeated earlier apologies on behalf of their organisations.
But Enough Abuse UK founder Marilyn Hawes said they had to shoulder the blame because no staff members had been identified in the review or disciplined.
Mrs Hawes said: “Their positions are untenable and they need to go but they do not have the integrity or are showing any accountability.
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“Their organisations failed and they are both culpable for that because they are at the top. That’s why you get the title and the big leather chair, because the buck stops with you.”
Ms Thornton is due to leave Thames Valley Police for a new role next month, while the planned redundancy of Ms Simons – under which she would receive a package of almost £600,000 – has been put on hold because of a challenge to the decision-making process.
Mrs Hawes said: “Ms Simons should not wait for the redundancy but should resign now.
“If she was made redundant, if she had any integrity, she would not accept [the money]. You should not get recompensed for failing.
“She should put any money towards trauma therapy for the children she failed.
“I’ve heard all the apologies from the police and county council but they mean little because you have not broken someone’s best china.
“You have broken someone’s life.”
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