CITY and county fostering chiefs say “lessons have been learned” over their handling of paedophile foster carer Rex Case.

It comes after a serious case review highlighted failings in the foster care system during Case’s time on the books of Hampshire County Council and Southampton City Council.

Case, now 75, was jailed in 2012 for more than 20 years after he was found guilty of committing sexual offences against five females, including the rape of a girl aged five, committed during his 30 years as a foster carer.

He was later sentenced to another four years after a new investigation found he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl while working at a Hampshire youth housing project in the 1990s.

Following his sentencing, a serious case review, involving both councils, was launched to investigate the authorities and their handling of Case.

It also looked into the handling of another foster carer, also convicted of sexual offences.

His identity has not been disclosed.

The independently chaired review showed Case had been a foster carer with Hampshire County Council between the early 1970s and 2003, and had fostered children from them until 1997 – when he began working with the newly formed Southampton City Council.

The review board agreed to study the period between 1994 and 2013.

But the report stated there were concerns about case raised before 1994, including notes made by those interviewing Case, describing him as “flirtatious” and “inappropriate”.

Daily Echo: A report was also made as early as 1983, which claimed Case had “tanned a foster child’s backside”.

The review said Case was later suspended following an allegation of sexual harassment against a 17-year-old girl, but he was reinstated after police agreed to take no further action.

New allegations of sexual abuse were later levelled at Case when a child was removed from his care after displaying “sexualised behaviour and language”.

This later led to more allegations by the same child, but there was found to be insufficient evidence to follow up an investigation.

A review in 1999 recommended Case no longer be approved as a foster carer, once the two young people had finished their lives in care.

Case was not deregistered until 2003, while two more allegations were made, including a historic sex complaint made in 2007.

A fifth complaint was made in 2010, which eventually led to Case’s conviction.

The report added that complaints had been made about Case on “several occasions”, but said these were “not handled appropriately”.

It said this had created a “benefit-of-the-doubt system” for people like Case.

The report added: “It is clear that insufficient attention was paid to accumulating concerns over time and there was a lack of recognition of patterns of behaviour that may cause concern.”

The report later listed a series of recommendations in order to protect children in the future.

But in a joint statement by both Hampshire and Southampton councils, the authorities stated that such changes, or better alternatives, had already been implemented.

The statement said: “Hampshire County Council and Southampton City Council can confirm that any learning from the review has been taken on board by all agencies concerned.

“Where areas for improvement were identified, this matched what we had identified many years ago and had already implemented measures to address.

“Those improvements in practice have been long standing, and our Ofsted record reflects that.

Daily Echo: “Both councils are dedicated to the protection and welfare of all children in their area.

“Even though these terrible abuses took place many years ago, the authorities are determined to learn from them on behalf of children today.”

The statement added: “Clearly it is deplorable that anyone had to suffer at the hands of this person.

“Cases such as this are challenging and upsetting but it must be remembered that people who abuse their position of trust are often manipulative and adept at covering up their actions.

“Children’s Services always work with the police when abuse or neglect of a child is reported or suspected.

“We would urge anyone who has been abused, or suspects someone of being an abuser, to contact the police by calling 101, or their local children’s services department.”

As previously reported, Case was given a life sentence with a minimum of 21 years at Winchester Crown Court in 2012.

He was found guilty of 18 counts of sexual abuse, sexual assault and rape of girls supposedly in his care, including one girl who he raped when she was five.

During sentencing, Judge Peter Henry described, Case, formerly of Holly Hill, Bassett, as “cunning and depraved”.

In 2016, Case received another four-year sentence for the indecent assault of a 16-year-old, which took place between 1996 and 1998.