Agencies involved in the case of a schoolboy who raped and sexually assaulted children over a number of years made a “number of failings”.

A Serious Case Review (SCR) into the case of Christopher Mancini, jailed for ten years for 49 counts involving 13 boys, raised failings by both Sussex Police and West Sussex County Council.

The report found that agencies failed to correctly liaise with one another, there was a lack of clarity about roles and responsibilities and complicated social care and police databases hindered workers ability to see the bigger picture.

Information was also not shared as fully between all agencies as it should have been.

Detective Superintendent Paul Furnell, of Sussex Police, admitted “we did not grasp the complex and challenging reality of what was happening”.

He said: “A number of the failures identified centred on each agency’s child protection structures which clearly were not effective enough in dealing with abuse outside the family environment.

“But communication between agencies was not as effective as it should have been and this meant |that we did not grasp the complex and challenging reality of what was happening with the young offender and |his young victims early enough.”

Annie MacIver, head of children’s social care at West Sussex County Council, said: “The report has highlighted areas where our response lacked the pace and purpose necessary in this case.

“We accept there were practice shortcomings and will take the recommendations on board as we work to ensure our response in these circumstances is as good as when dealing with allegations of abuse in the home.”

Chairman of the West Sussex Safeguarding Children Board, Jimmy Doyle, said: “The review also highlights a number of lessons which emerged from the examination of the events and West Sussex Safeguarding Children Board is committed to ensuring that future practice is strengthened when dealing with situations of this kind.”