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07 Dec 2021

Serious case reviews after deaths of twins

Serious case reviews into the deaths of teenage twins Sam and Chris Gould were published today, which found multiple failures by a range of differing agencies.

Their parents, Ian Gould and Jane Cannon, said that their daughters’ lives could have been saved had numerous chances not been missed by the professionals who dealt with them.

The full story can be read at Twins who took own lives after suffering years of sexual abuse ‘could have been saved’, say parents – ITV News Anglia

Marjorie Wallace, SANE’s CEO, said in response to today’s reports:

“This is a complex and profoundly tragic case, highlighting the challenges that children and adolescent mental health services face and the failures of the system.

“The case of Sam and Chris is compounded by the intense intertwining relationship that can develop between twins, as I know from almost 40 years of work with other cases.

“Reading the reports it becomes evident that the child’s voice gets lost in a cat’s cradle of intertwining agencies which leads to miscommunication and confusion, with no one person taking overall responsibility.

“This shows just how difficult it can be for the families to navigate the tangle of services, how important early intervention is before a child becomes at risk, and the need to support the families who often feel excluded and distressed.”

Sam, left, and Chris pictured in the summer of 2018, months before Sam took her life. Credit: Family photo


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