Murdered Becky Watts ‘had fears of being abducted’

Becky Watts reported feeling ‘scared’ of being abducted to social workers more than three years before she was murdered

Becky Watts said she felt ‘scared’ of being abducted three years before she was murdered, a report found today as it emerged a man had threatened to post intimate pictures of her online.

The 16-year-old was attacked in her bedroom in a sexually motivated plot by her stepbrother Nathan Matthews, 31, after he hatched a plot to abduct her with his girlfriend Shauna Hoare, 24.

Matthews and Hoare took tape, handcuffs and at least one stun gun to Becky’s home in St George, Bristol, in February 2015 and let themselves in when they knew she was alone.

Becky suffered more than 40 injuries before she was smothered by Matthews, who later dismembered her body in the home he shared with Hoare.

A serious case review commissioned by Bristol Safeguarding Children Board detailed how Becky had been receiving services from professionals from autumn 2011 until her murder.

It made five key findings relating to the services provided to Becky but concluded that her murder could not have been ‘predicted or prevented’ by any professional working with her.

Watts was attacked bedroom by her stepbrother Nathan Matthews

Matthews hatched a plot to abduct Becky with his girlfriend Shauna Hoare (pictured)

Watts was attacked in her bedroom by her stepbrother Nathan Matthews (left), 31, after he hatched a plot to abduct her with his girlfriend Shauna Hoare (right), 24

A house is cordoned off and searched by police in Bristol during the probe in March 2015

A house is cordoned off and searched by police in Bristol during the probe in March 2015

The report found many of the professionals did not consider Matthews, Hoare and other family members – with no risk from the former TA soldier towards Becky identified at any point.

A significant finding appears to be fears she was at increased risk of sexual exploitation from a young man who had intimate photographs of her and due to her vulnerable state.

Despite the concerns she was not referred to a sexual exploitation project because there was ‘confusion about whose responsibility it was’. 

Upon the report’s publication, Becky’s mother Tanya said: ‘The day I had Becky was one of the happiest days of my life.I still remember bringing her home to my mum’s with mum and Auntie Lyn where Danny, Becky and myself then spent the week.

‘Danny just wanted to help bathe and feed her and all throughout her childhood he looked out for his little sister. Becky, even from a baby, would light up for the camera, and she lit up all of our lives.

‘Danny would always say she could make good out of a bad situation. Even throughout her own struggles she cared for others, even more than herself. Becky would love to dance as a child and loved her animals. 

(Left to right) Grandfather John Galsworthy, father Darren Galsworthy and his wife Anjie watch as Luke Oberhansli (front right) helps carry the coffin of his girlfriend Becky Watts in April 2015

(Left to right) Grandfather John Galsworthy, father Darren Galsworthy and his wife Anjie watch as Luke Oberhansli (front right) helps carry the coffin of his girlfriend Becky Watts in April 2015

Police search a property in Barton Hill, Bristol during their probe into Becky's disappearance

Police search a property in Barton Hill, Bristol during their probe into Becky’s disappearance

‘Becky remained a happy caring girl and kept a smile on her face throughout even though she was carrying all of this pain upon her little shoulders. 

Key findings of serious case review into Becky Watts’s death

The serious case review commissioned by Bristol Safeguarding Children Board made five key findings relating to the services provided to Becky Watts: 

  1. Services need to be focussed on an evidence based understanding of the needs and circumstance of adolescents; the absence of this can lead to adolescents inappropriately becoming the focus of concern, and being seen as “troublesome” rather than troubled because of their circumstances.
  2. The inconsistencies within intra and inter-agency approaches to recording, analysis, planning, coordination and review makes joint working for children and their families less effective.
  3. Children in receipt of specialist services from Hospital education services (HES) have complex needs, and some require a multi-agency response to meet these needs. Despite this, HES are often working alone in providing services to children; such lone working does not meet the needs of all children.
  4. The propensity for professionals to take parent/carer perspectives at face value without triangulating information from other sources, including observations of how a child or young person appears, can lead to a limited understanding of a child or young person’s needs.
  5. Professionals are less challenging of the lack of engagement of Fathers in child welfare practice leaving the risks they may pose unassessed and the contribution they could make to children’s lives unknown.

‘Her grace and beauty and courage astounds me and I am so lucky and proud and honoured to be able to call her my daughter.’

Becky was seen by 17 professionals from eight different service providers over a three-and-a-half year period, with the majority of information about the teenager and her family history coming from her stepmother Anjie Galsworthy – the mother of Matthews.

During one early visit to the family home, a family support worker spoke to Becky alone.

‘Becky reported being scared about a lot of things, including going back to school and being out alone, caused, she said, by reading about abduction cases and watching horror movies,’ the report said.

‘The social worker was charged with addressing these concerns but Becky did not attend any of the planned sessions.

‘These anxieties were addressed in part through the work with the individual support worker, but the issue of what action father (Becky’s father Darren Galsworthy) and Becky’s stepmother could and should have taken to limit the watching of these programmes was not addressed because the parenting sessions did not happen.

‘This meant the meaning of these films for Becky and why she watched them was never established. The lack of an initial analysis/formulation or subsequent reviewing mechanism meant that this gap was never addressed.’

In meetings with a clinical psychologist with Becky and her stepmother, it was noted that Becky was ‘fearful of the outside world and had concerns about being abducted and had problems with eating’.

Becky disclosed that Matthews was ‘unkindly teasing’ her about her weight during family therapy with her stepmother and father but the sessions did not continue due to her eating disorder and their ill health. 

The boarded and metal shuttered property in Barton Hill where Matthews and Hoare lived

The boarded and metal shuttered property in Barton Hill where Matthews and Hoare lived

The bathtub where the body of teenager Becky was said to have dismembered in Bristol

The bathtub where the body of teenager Becky was said to have dismembered in Bristol

She was later diagnosed with anorexia but recovered from this 13 months later.

Becky Watts’s grieving mother pays tribute to ‘happy, caring girl’

Upon the publication today of the serious case review into Becky Watts’s death in Bristol, a statement was issued by her mother Tanya Watts:

Rebecca Marie Watts, Becky. The day I had Becky was one of the happiest days of my life.

‘I still remember bringing her home to my mum’s with mum and Auntie Lyn where Danny, Becky and myself then spent the week.

‘Danny just wanted to help bathe and feed her and all throughout her childhood he looked out for his little sister. Becky, even from a baby, would light up for the camera, and she lit up all of our lives.

‘Danny would always say she could make good out of a bad situation. Even throughout her own struggles she cared for others, even more than herself. Becky would love to dance as a child and loved her animals.

‘Becky remained a happy, caring girl and kept a smile on her face throughout even though she was carrying all of this pain upon her little shoulders. Her grace and beauty and courage astounds me and I am so lucky and proud and honoured to be able to call her my daughter.’ 

The serious case review revealed that professionals considered Becky – who said she worried that her father did not want her at home – to be at risk of sexual exploitation and homelessness.

Becky disclosed that a boy had been threatening to publish explicit images of her on the internet and of worries about ‘sexting’ but said she did not want police contacted as she was ‘frightened’ of repercussions.

Sally Lewis, the independent chairwoman of Bristol Safeguarding Children Board, said concerns of possible sexual exploitation related to sexting and the sharing of images and not Matthews.

She said that, from records at the time, the ‘terms of access’ of Becky watching horror films was not clear.

The review made five key findings in relation to the services provided to Becky between autumn 2011 and her murder in February 2015.

It said services should be focused on an ‘evidence-based understanding’ of the needs and circumstances of adolescents to avoid them being seen as ‘troublesome’ rather than troubled.

There were ‘inconsistencies’ within the approaches of different agencies in terms of recording, analysing, planning, co-ordinating and reviewing – making joint care for children and their families less effective.

Children receiving care from hospital education services sometimes require a multi-agency response, it said. 

Becky Watts's father Darren and her stepmother Anjie Galsworthy on ITV in November 2015

Becky Watts’s father Darren and her stepmother Anjie Galsworthy on ITV in November 2015

Matthews is depicted in a sketch while crying at Bristol Crown Court as he is questioned by defence barrister Adam Vaitilingam in October 2015

Matthews is depicted in a sketch while crying at Bristol Crown Court as he is questioned by defence barrister Adam Vaitilingam in October 2015

Professionals should use information from different sources to prevent a ‘limited understanding’ of a child or young person’s needs, the report concluded.

Agencies react to the Becky Watts report

Various agencies have today responded to the serious case review into the death of Becky Watts in 2015:

‘We recognise that the recording of our contact with Becky and our communication with other services fell short of what is expected. As a result of this and an internal investigation, we have reviewed our staff training and practice.’

Action for Children spokesman

‘We welcome the review and its findings and we are pleased to say that some of the issues raised in the report, particularly around communication between agencies have already been or are now being addressed.’

Dr Lisa Jenkins, consultant child psychiatrist at South Gloucestershire child and adolescent mental health services

‘Whilst the review found that Becky’s death could not have been predicted, there was more that could have been done to better understand Becky and her situation.’

Jacqui Jensen, executive director of care and safeguarding at Bristol City Council

‘Despite the review finding no evidence that Becky’s death could have been predicted or prevented by any professional working with her, we must make sure that we continue to improve our services.’

Anne Morris, director of nursing and quality in Bristol for North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Groups

It also found that professionals are less challenging towards fathers who do not engage in child welfare practices – ‘leaving the risks they may pose unassessed and the contribution they could make to children’s lives unknown’.

These findings have been accepted by the Bristol Safeguarding Children Board and ‘much work’ has taken place to address them, Ms Lewis said.

Becky’s mother Tanya Watts and grandmother Pat Watts told the report it was ‘important for children and young people to be believed when they talk about their worries and that they were not blamed for their behaviour’.

They felt Becky had been expected to meet and engage with ‘too many different professionals’ and could not build up trust to speak out.

Mr Galsworthy and Ms Galsworthy said that ‘in hindsight they could see that the behaviour from Becky which they found challenging to manage was worse at times when her stepbrother was around.

‘They said they wished they had realised the bullying she was experiencing from him at the time so they could have intervened to keep her safe.’

Mr Galsworthy said he was not included by professionals or given parenting support so he relied on strategies ‘such as telling Becky she would have to move out of the home if she did not manage her behaviour’.

‘He said he now understood that this behaviour was partly as a result of what Becky was experiencing from her stepbrother.’

Matthews was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 33 years in prison, while Hoare was jailed for 17 years, following a seven-week trial at Bristol Crown Court in November 2015.

In a statement issued after the serious case review, Becky’s mother said the teenager ‘lit up all of our lives’.

‘Becky remained a happy caring girl and kept a smile on her face throughout even though she was carrying all of this pain upon her little shoulders,’ she said.

‘Her grace and beauty and courage astounds me and I am so lucky and proud and honoured to be able to call her my daughter.’

Becky Watts saw 17 professionals in three years before her murder

A report by Bristol Safeguarding Children Board has found the murder of Becky Watts could not have been predicted or prevented.

The 33-page review detailed how Becky’s mother Tanya Watts and father Darren Galsworthy separated when she was born and she spent her early life living with her mother.

Her mother requested a two-week respite placement from children’s services when Becky was aged three, leading to a period where Becky was on the Child Protection Register.

Following the respite, Becky was taken into the care of the local authority due to concerns about neglect. She was placed in foster care before her father was granted a residence order.

In autumn 2011, Becky’s stepmother Anjie Galsworthy visited the local Children and Young People Services to ask for help as Becky was finding it difficult to go to school, had anxieties about being outside the family home and had conflict with her father.

Becky was described as ‘controlling’, ‘lacking aspirations’ and ‘not engaged’ during an initial assessment – with the report highlighting this as a lack of understanding for her needs.

‘From this point on the focus was on Becky being problematic and having problems, without a consideration of what was the cause and what, therefore, might be the solution,’ the report stated.

Becky was considered to be a Child in Need but no plan was formulated and there were no meetings or reviews.

The family were then offered support by the Family Intervention Support Services (FISS) but although there were ‘continued concerns’ about Becky’s relationship with her father, he did not engage, the report said.

Becky was then referred to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services because of her social anxiety and she was seen by a clinical psychologist on numerous occasions.

‘Becky’s stepmother provided information about her knowledge and perspective of the family history but this was not checked with Becky’s mother, who had a different view,’ the report stated.

Becky was also referred to the Hospital Education Service and she started attending lessons three months later. She also saw staff from Action for Children and the family was referred to therapy.

Becky and her stepmother attended all the therapy sessions, with her mother attending one and her father another.

‘The conclusion of the family therapists was that all the adults in Becky’s life faced challenges which meant they could not fully focus on Becky’s needs,’ the report said.

In the final session, the conclusion was that Becky’s ‘traumatic past and current complex family circumstances’ were connected to her fear of people and places.

Becky was assessed as having anorexia and was provided with a treatment programme, which resulted in her coping better at school, developing friendships, attending sleepovers and engaging in group activities.

In May 2014, the Hospital Education Service made a referral to Children and Young People Services with concerns of Becky being at risk of sexual exploitation and homelessness.

Action for Children visited the family home and Becky refused to be seen alone, though she was passed leaflets about a local specialist Barnardo’s Child Sexual Exploitation project.

Becky was ‘erratically’ attending post-16 education at the time of her murder, the report stated.

From autumn 2011 to the time of her death, Becky had seen 17 professionals from eight different service providers.



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk