Samantha Morton: 'I Was Abused By Care Workers'

Actress Samantha Morton has said that sexual abuse she suffered as a teenager in care was never investigated, despite her reporting it to police and social services.

The 37-year-old claimed she reported the abuse by two male residential care workers in Nottingham when she was 13 years old.

Speaking to the Guardian, the Bafta award-winning actress said she decided to waive her right to anonymity in the wake of a report detailing sexual exploitation of 1,400 children over a period of 16 years in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

Fearing the issue is more widespread, she called for further investigations in other places, including her home town of Nottingham.

"I just wanted to go public with this, to say, we know it's rife but why are there not further investigations into other areas? It isn't just Rotherham, I'm sure it's not just Rotherham," she told the paper.

"There was no support, no offer of counselling, no wanting to delve deeper... Maybe they just assumed I had been abused already, or was being, anyway.

"A lot of people who abused my friends were people in very, very top jobs within the social services. Nottingham in the 80s was rife with that."

The actress revealed she had recently spoken to Nottinghamshire Police about her original complaint and was told the report contained only a reference to "frolicking" and no sexual abuse.

Nottinghamshire Police said it had checked its files and found that there was "no record of a complaint of this nature".

"Our Head of Public Protection has also spoken directly to Ms Morton twice in recent days and has asked her if she wishes to make a complaint so that we can begin an investigation, but she has not during either of those conversations confirmed to us that she does wish to take this matter further," the force said in a statement.

"If offences have been committed then we need Ms Morton to confirm that she wishes to make an allegation so that we can fully investigate this matter, not only to help Ms Morton obtain justice but also to assist others who may have been victims and to protect children who may still possibly be at risk."

Meanwhile, a Nottinghamshire County Council spokesman said they were hoping to speak to her about her concerns.

Steve Edwards, Nottinghamshire County Council's service director for children's social care, said there had "significant changes" in the area since Morton had been in care.

"We are confident that the care of vulnerable children is robustly monitored and any safeguarding concerns would be dealt with immediately," he said.

"The abuse of vulnerable children in any decade is abhorrent and I welcome people like Samantha speaking out."

In 2009, the double Oscar-nominee, who also starred alongside Tom Cruise in Minority Report, backed a Government campaign to recruit social workers in the wake of the Baby P scandal.

Speaking then Morton said she experienced some "wonderful" social workers who supported her and helped her realise her ambitions.