HSE chiefs apologise for failing to protect 'house of horror' children

Health chiefs tonight apologised to six children tortured and sexually abused by their parents in the so-called Roscommon “house of horror” case.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) also admitted authorities failed to protect the young siblings forced to endure years of incest in a squalid three-bedroom bungalow, strewn with rubbish and dead rodents.

The HSE apologised after the High Court ordered a damning inquiry into the shocking case, which found the voices of the children then aged between six and 15 years were ignored, be published.

In a statement, it said it fully accepted the findings and recommendations of the report into the failures of then Western Health Board, which was later subsumed into the HSE.

“Our apology is unreserved and unequivocal,” said a spokeswoman.

“The report finds that, regardless of the good intentions of the health and social service providers, important child protection concerns were not addressed adequately over the years.

“This failure meant that the harm and neglect of the children and young adults in this family continued.”