The victim of an evil Daniel gang foster carer is set to sue Glasgow City Council for placing vulnerable children in a “house of horrors”.
Barbara Daniel, 75, and Douglas Daniel, 80 – brother of notorious drug kingpin Jamie Daniel – were jailed for 30 months at Glasgow Sheriff Court in March. The depraved pair were sentenced after being found guilty of subjecting six children – aged between four and 14 – to cruel and unnatural treatment at their Parkhead home between 1986 and 1991.
The disgraced pensioners, now of Herne Bay in Kent, were each convicted of six charges following a trial in Glasgow in January. It heard how the pair dished out horrific punishment methods, which included forcing some of the youngsters into an animal pen.
One victim was made to stand with geese who pecked her skin, while a girl was ordered to bathe in a bird bath. Some kids went hungry under their roof, but one recalled being fed cow tongue intended for pet ferrets by “evil” Barbara Daniel.
View 4 ImagesJamie Daniel(Image: Reach PLC.)
At least one child was made to sit on the floor alongside pet dogs during mealtimes. The children were also subjected to violent physical assaults and controlling behaviour. They were locked in rooms, monitored with alarmed windows, and had their access to the bathroom restricted, including only being allowed one square of toilet paper.
Some of the children were forced to stand facing the wall for hours, occasionally on one leg, and sometimes to the point of collapse. Douglas Daniel was allowed to care for the young victims despite having a string of previous convictions.
Thompsons Solicitors Scotland has confirmed it is now helping one victim to secure legal damages as Daniel had a significant criminal record when he was approved as a foster carer.
View 4 ImagesBarbara and Douglas Daniel
Solicitor Laura Connor said: “Recent criminal cases have once again exposed the devastating consequences that can arise when vulnerable children are failed by the very systems designed to protect them. From historic foster care abuse cases to more recent revelations, there is a deeply troubling pattern which cannot be ignored.
“These cases span decades, yet they continue to raise many of the same questions about safeguarding, oversight and accountability. The public is entitled to ask what lessons have been learned and whether enough has been done to prevent similar failures from occurring again.
“My team is currently representing a survivor of the Daniels’ abuse and we are in discussions with others who may have been affected. The accounts we have heard are profoundly distressing and reveal the extent of the suffering experienced by children who should have been safe and protected.
“What is particularly concerning is that many of these cases involve children who were placed in foster care or other local authority settings because they were already vulnerable. The continuing emergence of abuse allegations and convictions connected to such placements should be a source of real concern for everyone involved in child protection.
“While securing compensation is important, most survivors are seeking something more fundamental. They want acknowledgement of what happened, meaningful accountability and reassurance that future generations of children will be better protected. That requires a thorough review of fostering arrangements, safeguarding procedures and the wider systems responsible for caring for vulnerable children.”
View 4 ImagesThe depraved couple were found guilty of abusing kids in their care(Image: Police Scotland)
Public records show that Douglas Daniel is the older brother of deceased gangster Jamie Daniel, who died of cancer in 2016. Notorious kingpin Jamie was said to have made £16 million per year from his criminal enterprise as head of the family clan before his death at the age of 58 ten years ago.
For decades, Jamie was believed to have been the main heroin supplier in Glasgow and was also said to earn up to £1 million a month from cigarette smuggling.
Speaking at the time of the couple’s sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Neil Guy said: “For years, Douglas and Barbara Daniel carried out a litany of abuse against young people who were supposed to be in their care. I would like to thank the victims for their courage and assistance in our investigation and hope that today’s outcome will give them some closure.”
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: “We offer our sincere apologies to anyone who experienced abuse while in local authority care. We expect all carers to provide a nurturing and safe environment for children and young people.
“We can however provide assurance that practice standards and foster care approval arrangements have significantly improved since the 80s and 90s with far greater oversight and more rigorous assessments in place. These assessments are also subject to internal and external scrutiny.
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“We are looking into the details which surround this historic case.”
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