CHARITY BOSS RAPED MENTALLY HANDICAPPED WOMAN IN HIS CARE.

DECEMBER 2001. THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE STOCKPORT EXPRESS

A senior official for Mencap and former Stockport Council care worker raped and sexually abused a severely mentally handicapped woman.

William Isaac - who is known as Keith, was vice-chairman of mental health charity Mencap in Stockport and had worked with mentally handicapped people as a care worker for Stockport Social Services for more than 20 years.

Between December 1999 and December 2000 the married man, aged 67, raped a woman who has the mental age of a small child.

At Manchester Crown Court the disgraced father-of-two admitted one
specimen charge of rape and four counts of having sex with a woman who is mentally defective.

Four other charges of rape and two of indecent assault were allowed to lie on file. He will be sentenced in February, but Judge Anthony Ensor warned him that the offences are so serious "custody must follow".

Isaac abused the woman in his role as an organiser for the Gateway Club, a leisure and social club for people with learning difficulties. Issac's victim is aged 41, but has the mental capacity of a six-year-old. Her IQ is so low it puts her in the lowest
0.1 per cent of the population.

Speaking after the case, the victim's mother said: "He's a pathetic individual. I cannot understand how a 67-year-old man could bring himself to do that to a girl like that. She's 41 years old, but she has a mentality of a six-year-old. "At Christmas I have to put out mince pies and a glass of milk for her because she waits for Father Christmas to come with his sack".

Isaac, of Heaton Norris, has a mentally handicapped son of his own and was a volunteer with Mencap for 35 years. He was a swimming instructor and organised parties and discos in Stockport for people with learning difficulties. He worked as a supervisor for mentally handicapped adults in Stockport Council day centres for 21 years until he retired in 1994, but remained as a volunteer with Mencap. He was caught when the victim confided in her social worker about Isaac's abuse and the police were called.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Neil Hewitt, of Stockport CID, said, "It's been an emotive case to deal with made difficult by the complications of dealing with a person with severe learning difficulties. "Let this be a lesson to anybody who feels that to abuse people with learning difficulties will not result in imprisonment".

Director of Stockport Social Services, Jean Dainty said: "He knew full well that in working as a volunteer with vulnerable adults he was in a position of trust. "He breached that trust and responsibility in an unexpected, shocking and appalling manner". Mrs Dainty added that both social services and Mencap have now tightened their policies on the vetting and supervision of volunteers.

Steve Morris, community support manager for Mencap in the North West, said Isaac was immediately suspended from working with the charity when the allegations were made. "We have reviewed volunteer recruitment strategy and policy with the local society and Gateway to ensure the highest levels of support for people with a learning disability" he said.