‘SUSPICIOUS’ bruising on disabled siblings ‘grotesquely’ abused by their carer was overlooked by police and council workers, a report has revealed.

The victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, lived with the guardian for about a year until evidence emerged he was physically and sexually abusive.

But Thames Valley Police and Oxfordshire County Council’s children’s social care services missed an opportunity to uncover the ‘despicable’ abuse earlier, a serious case review by Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board (OSCB) revealed on Wednesday.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail, independent chair of the OSCB Paul Burnett said agencies across the county ‘owed’ it to the victims to improve the care of disabled children but claimed he could not guarantee similar issues would not arise in future reviews.

He said agencies need to ensure children are kept safe by identifying risks early, adding: “I want to be able to say to the children that we have taken note of what happened and we are going to work as hard as we can to make sure that the things the author has told us need to be different are indeed different, and improve outcomes for children in the future.”

The children’s abuser, who was previously convicted for dishonesty offences, was locked up for 14 years, with an extended three-year licence period, for rape and child cruelty charges last January.

He and his partner were awarded care of the youngsters, who suffer with global developmental delay, under a special guardianship order made in 2014.

But the children, both under five, displayed ‘unsettled’ behaviour’ from the outset, including self-harming, head banging, hair pulling, screaming and pinching.

Bruising was spotted on both children but a social worker claimed the injuries were due to the youngsters’ ‘difficult’ behaviour and child protection enquires were not followed up.

Police ‘too quickly withdrew’ from the investigation when there was still a ‘clear possibility’ injuries were deliberate and a paediatrician suggested the same, report writer Kevin Harrington said.

The council's director for children’s services Lucy Butler said it had made improvements and was continuing to support the children, while the police force claimed its decision not to interview both carers after bruising was found was made ‘in consultation with other agencies’.

The abuser’s offending was uncovered when his suspicious partner secretly hid a recording device in their home, which captured the children crying and the paedophile making violent threats, sexual comments and noises.

But the report also said the abuse could not have been foreseen.

An NSPCC spokesman said: “This was a particularly awful case in which a person who was trusted with the care of these children carried out horrific abuse against them.

“It is always worrying when opportunities are missed to protect children and the flaws highlighted by this report must be rectified as soon as possible.

“This case highlights once again that children’s interests must be at the heart of all decisions that professionals make.  It is vital that lessons are learned from this review and that all recommendations are implemented without delay.

“We all have a duty to be alert to a child’s suffering and the NSPCC’s Helpline is available 24/7 on 0808 800 5000 for anyone to report concerns.”