Today, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Safeguarding Children Partnership will publish two Serious Case Reviews concerning the tragic deaths of identical twin sisters Sam and Chris Gould. Our deepest sympathy continues to be extended to the family and friends of these amazing young women who sadly died within five months of each other after taking their own lives. These reviews explore Sam and Chris and their parents’ experiences of the multi-agency services that were provided over several years.
At the heart of these Serious Case Reviews is the significant impact of child sexual abuse, the response by agencies to this abuse, and to the complex mental health conditions that can follow. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Safeguarding Children Partnership are deeply grateful to the parents of Chris and Sam, Ian Gould and Jane Cannon, for their steadfast commitment to working with the partnership to ensure that these reviews are a true reflection of their daughters’ lives and the services provided.
These reviews have taken some time to complete. The involvement of multiple agencies in the lives of Sam and Chris and their parents has been detailed, appraised and recommendations have been made. During the completion of these reviews, a number of agencies have made significant changes to the way they support children and families. The partnership remain deeply committed to ensuring that agencies make the further changes that are needed. Some changes are required on a national scale, and we share Jane and Ian’s heartfelt commitment to ensure these changes are realised. We ask that you do justice to Sam, Chris, Jane and Ian by reading these reports in full and request that we stand together to do whatever we can to prevent other children and families from suffering such pain and unbearable loss.
The Serious Case Reviews can be found on the Child Safeguarding Practice Review page of our website
For media enquiries please contact the relevant agencies below;
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust:
- Cambridgeshire County Council:
- Corporate Communications Cambridgeshire Constabulary:
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group:
