The 60 missed chances to save abused child's life

Despite numerous visits from social workers, a toddler was allowed to die from the horrific injuries inflicted by his guardians

November 12, 2008

A baby who was beaten, bruised and left to die by his guardians was seen 60 times by social workers but was never taken into care. The child was seen 18 times by council staff, 37 times by health workers and five times by welfare officers, yet no one rescued him from his abusers before he died.

Yesterday, a nationwide review of children's services was launched after Haringey Council in north London was again accused of failing to prevent the harrowing death of a child. Haringey was the authority involved in the case of eight-year-old Victoria Climbié, who was murdered at the hands of her great-aunt and her boyfriend in 2000.

Now the authority faces fresh criticism over the death of the 17-month-old child, known as Baby P, who was battered and abused for eight months, despite being on the council's child protection register.

Yesterday Baby P's 27-year-old mother, her 32-year-old boyfriend and their lodger, Jason Owen, 36, were convicted at the Old Bailey of causing or allowing the death of a child.

Murder charges against the mother and Jason Owen were dropped after the judge decided there was insufficient evidence to convict. The 32-year-old man was yesterday found not guilty of murder. After their conviction, attention turned to the authorities which apparently failed Baby P in the months leading up to his death. The Metropolitan Police admitted errors in their investigation, while a doctor at St Ann's Hospital, Tottenham, has not had her contract renewed for her failure to spot that the child had a broken back and ribs just two days before he died.

But it is the conduct of Haringey Council that prompted children's minister Beverley Hughes to announce a nationwide independent review of child protection services. The council's failings in the Climbié case led to Lord Laming's inquiry which made recommendations in child protection reform. But just five years after that report was published, the Government yesterday asked the peer to conduct another inquiry following the death of Baby P.

Ms Hughes said: "To ensure the reforms the Government set out after Lord Laming's inquiry are being implemented systematically, Ed Balls and I have asked Lord Laming to prepare an independent report of progress being made across the country."

Yesterday, Lord Laming, who called for a series of reforms in the wake of Victoria Climbié's death, said the similarities between her case and Baby P's were "dispiriting".

In the eight months that Haringey Council was involved in the case, social workers visited the home of Baby P 60 times – twice a week – but failed to take the child into care. At one point, they allowed Baby P to return to his mother even when she was on bail for attacking him.

The case has been described as "worse than Climbié". It is very similar. It involved the same council, the same health visitor clinic in Lordship Lane, Tottenham, and one of the same social workers, Sylvia Henry.

Ms Henry was accused of lying in official records relating to the Climbié case to cover up her team's lack of action. In the Baby P case, she was one of the social workers involved in the decision to return Baby P to his mother during the initial inquiry in December 2006.

Two social workers and a lawyer at Haringey Council have been given written warnings after a review into their conduct during the case. Ms Henry, it was confirmed to The Independent last night, will not be disciplined and she, along with every other social worker involved in the case, will keep her job.

Yesterday Sharon Shoesmith, the chairwoman of Haringey's local safeguarding children board – the body that led the independent review, refused to apologise for her council's handling of the case.

Instead, she criticised the child's mother for "deceit" in dealing with the council and the police, and extolled the benefits of hindsight, but said: "The very sad fact is you cannot stop anyone who is determined to kill their children.

"Of course we are shocked by the details of this but no agency killed this child. This child was killed by members of his own family. The agencies are not responsible." Dr Jane Collins, the chief executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital, which provided paediatric services to Baby P, said that Dr Sabah Al Zayyat – the doctor who failed to spot Baby P's broken back and rib two days before he died – had not had her contract renewed – a decision the GP is fighting.

Asked about the hospital's role in the child's death, Dr Collins added: "Our doctor did not show the diligence expected. Do you not think we feel bad about that? We feel as uncomfortable about that as you do. Clearly we did not get things right. He [Baby P] died and we need to do things better."

The police also admitted to errors in their handling of the case. Detective Superintendent Caroline Bates, who led the inquiry, said: "With hindsight, having the benefit of a major investigation, we know quite clearly the mother was lying and trying to subvert agencies involved with the family."

Privately, however, the police are said to be angry at the lack of co-operation shown by Haringey Council. Sources say that the council's unwillingness to disclose vital documents relating to the case hampered their investigation.

The tragically short life of Baby P was marred by violence and marked by a series of blunders and missed opportunities by the organisations in charge with saving him from abuse.

Just two days before his death, Baby P was taken to see Dr Zayyat. During the trial at the Old Bailey, jurors were told Dr Zayyat did not spot the fact the child had a broken back and nine broken ribs. Instead, she noted that he was "miserable"and had a cold and sent him home.

The visit to the doctor was the last chance anyone had to save Baby P, but it was certainly not the first.

Throughout the investigation, Baby P's 27-year-old mother lied to the police and social services and claimed his injuries were caused because he was a feisty child who liked to headbutt things.

Neither the police nor the social workers, both of whom visited the home several times, realised the mother was sharing her home with two men. And tragically, they decided to drop the investigation into the alleged abuse the day that the child died.

Baby P's natural father left the family home in July 2006, four months after his son was born. In November 2006, the mother, described as a slob "devoid from reality" and obsessed with internet chatrooms and daytime television, moved her new boyfriend into the house, in Tottenham.

The mother did not inform social services that her new boyfriend, who had a fascination with knives and was "sadistic" and "fascinated with pain" according to the police, had moved in. In December 2006, the mother was arrested after bruises were found on the Baby P's face and chest. Social services were informed and visited the council flat in Haringey, which the mother and her boyfriend shared with three dogs including a large Rottweiler.

There, they found pornography scattered around the house, which was dirty and smelled of urine. Baby P was placed on the child protection register and handed to a family friend but was allowed to return home after five weeks.

In April 2007, he was admitted to North Middlesex Hospital with bruises, two black eyes and swelling on of his head. His mother claimed he had fallen onto a marble fireplace and blamed his grandmother for the injuries.

Baby P returned to the hospital in June 2007, again with bruises. That time, his mother blamed the injuries on a fight he had with another child. She was rearrested and bailed and police officers recommended the child should not be allowed to return to his mother.

Detective Superintendent Caroline Bates said: "The officers involved felt very strongly that the child should not be returned to the family."

Despite that, the child was returned to the house as he had not reached the threshold required for taking a child into care.

Later that month, on 29 June, the abuse accelerated when Owen moved into the flat.

The following day, 30 June, Maria Ward, the appointed social worker paid an unannounced visit to the house. She is said to have missed injuries to the child's face and hands because he had been smeared with chocolate to disguise them.

On 1 August came the last chance to save Baby P's life. He was taken to Dr Al Zayyat who did not spot the child's terrible injuries.

The following day, the mother was told by police she would not be prosecuted. But that evening the child was to suffer a final and fatal attack when he was punched so hard in the mouth that he swallowed his tooth and suffered damage to his spine and neck. The following morning, Baby P was found dead in his cot. Experts said he had been dead for several hours.