Phillip Garrido - Children still at risk here

THE inhuman cruelties inflicted by Phillip Garrido on Jaycee Lee Dugard, and those inflicted by Austrian Josef Fritzl on his daughter, were appalling.

They are exacerbated by the heart-breaking cruelty they inflict on so many more tormented families whose children have disappeared. Because they survived their dreadful ordeals these two brave women will rekindle hopes long ago put aside by the parents, siblings and friends of the hundreds of thousands of children and young people missing around the world.

Certainly, and hopefully, some will be reunited with their loved ones but the terrifying reality is that the majority will never be seen again.

As the Ryan Report confirmed, we do not have an exemplary record in looking after children, an impression deepened by the number of refugee children who go missing in this country each year.

We are still “working towards” providing adequate 24/7 emergency protection services for children.

We have very limited options for the protection of at-risk children. Some of these threats are so great they demand attention despite our straitened circumstances.

Are we really going to wait for an Irish Phillip Garrido or Josef Fritzl before we bring our services up to scratch?