The poor 17 month old -died of broken back

[skydancer1]

I just find these kind of stories of extreme abuse so very upsetting and wish we had better safeguards in place to stop such hideous harm happening or at least continuing (when it's pretty obvious!) to helpless children. Why on earth did the doctor not examine a child because he was already on an at risk register and was 'cranky and miserable' at an appointment and hence he/she failed to notice broken back and ribs? It beggars belief. I'm not a punitive 'hang them flog them' type (in fact I'm strongly against corporal punishment) but in this instance I think the mother should be forcibly sterilised to prevent her ever hurting or 'allowing' such hurt to any other child.

Well even if SS do believe that abuse and negect are two completely different things, the bruises were there regardless, day after day after day. It doesnt matter if it was abuse or neglect, the damage was being done.
The point is, he was being hurt, through whatever means SS thought it was, he was being hurt!!

i am so so sickened by this story. its the worst i have ever heard about.

i have cried so much.

i cannot believe the fucking social workers, being fooled by the mother!!! yeah she may have been 17, but she was a 'clever' evil bitch. the blood stained clothes, neatly folded in the drawers, made me feel nauseous.

someone mentioned on here, i have forgot the name, that social workers are all 'text book' educated, and have little life experience, its appalling how easy it is to get to work with societies most vulnerable people. how the fuck did she not see what was going on?????

and as for the doctor, well words fail me. fucking prick!!!
and the head of ss talking on the television last night!! i couldn't believe how calmly and matter of factly she spoke.
i really hope they all rot in hell.

rest in peace little baby. you are in my thoughts. god bless xxxxxxxx

The poor mite was being sent to a childminder every day wasn't he? What did she do about his bruises and other injuries?

Baby P's mother is 27, not 17

mercy that thing that was supposed to be his mother is 17, that is why David Cameron has been bleating on about the fact 'she was just a young girl who didn't know how to care for a child'.

Agree about the childminder how did she not notice?

ARGH this story makes me so angry, yet I really don't want to get angry about it because as horrific as it is they are not worth wasting my energy and also as hard as it is to say and this is not meant in a horrible way but he's better off away from those 'human beings' I just wish it could've been under different circumstances.

RIP baby boy xxx

she was 27 wasnt she? the baby was 17 months.

i just find it horrific, im so shocked and sickened by it. his "mum" claimed in court she didnt even notice his injuries and thought he died due to an illness. i am sick to my stomach by this, and am praying baby p is in a happier place.

Parliament recently voted again against making smacking illegal.

I know it won't stop the all the tragedies but at least would give some message surely

Missmodular, I'm glad you're writing to the children's minister to demand an independent enquiry for Haringey's SS. Please send that letter off and let us know any reply! Is this something maybe worth doing collectively from mumsnet or people on this thread contributing to a joint letter? I want to do something positive - any little drop in the ocean - towards a better solution in this terrible failure of care and - adding insult to injury - failure of professionals taking responsibility. Everyone sounds like they're minding their back and their jobs in Haringey. A shame they didn't mind someone else's helpless life being brutalised and killed.

mamadiva, sorry I don't understand what you mean (about the age thing)

me too skydancer. count me in. i would like to feel i was doing something positive. i will also be giving a donation to the nspcc in memory of baby p.

seems to me that ss these days, is all about figures, meeting deadlines, 'talking'
and basically doing fuck all. im sure this is not always the case, but it seems to be all about keeping up appearances. (i used to work in ss and i found this to be the case sadly too often.)

Well I am glad I am in the position to be able to 'critisise' the role of social workers, paediatricians and doctors in child and family sevices without having to self evaluate.

I have to say that I have been unable to scrutinise the details of this case because it turns my stomach.

However it is easy to judge black and white facts after an event and accuse the 'professionals' of exteme misconduct.

Far harder to put yourself up for such a job and be on the 'front line', so to speak, trying to insure that that the statutory rights of children are upheld and that their welfare is made paramount. I am sure I am right in saying that social work is one of the careers where statistically, you are most likely to put your own life at risk while doing your job.

I'm a bit further north than you Mercy - covered by Enfield borough but Enfield, Barnet and Haringey have a linked PCT dont they? There are certainly areas between me and you that I'd not like to wander in to during the day - let alone at night.

I've been to St Anns many times for the audiology dept and always thought they were amazing.

When DD was rushed into hospital at 8 months old with an allergic reaction, within 48 hours I was rung by our local HV as she had received paperwork from A & E and followed it up.

When she was rushed in again at 1 yrs with breathing difficulties - again - within days I was contacted by the HV. When she was 3 and shut her finger in a car door, and breaking it, it was about 3 or 4 weeks before we were contacted by a HV.

I have NEVER been followed up by HV's for DS in terms of weighing, baby clinic etc.

As for Mother Tiger instinct - mine makes me want to protect my own and all children - not inflict death or extended cruelty on others - whatever they have done.

i've faxed gordon brown (fax number on 10 downing street page) to ask that he make some sort of public statement to the effect that this horrific type of cruelty won't be tolerated, and never allowed to happen again. I've also emailed my mp to ask that he act on our behalf to keep it at the top of the list as far as he can. I think that the credit crunch could be 'solved' quickly at whatever expense, and with the best brains, speedily. we're all to blame for society being a bit crap - not knowing our neighbours etc, but in this case it's surely that this poor baby is dead. he wasn't protected, and those who should have been looking after him should all be punished, including the social workers I feel. We were going to do a secret santa in our NCT group - baby's 1st Xmas - instead we're donating to NSPCC or similar. RIP Baby P.

I used to take the dc to St Ann's for their imms - they had a really good system imo. But I've had almost no contact with HVs tbh.

Just wanted to reiterate (for others) that I know someone whose dc had to go to A&E for 2 injuries within the space of a few months and they were contacted by Haringey SS after the 2nd visit.

Also, at my dc school if a child comes in with a bruise, a cut or whatever the first thing the teachers do is ask the child (not the parent) what happened - even if they are only 3 and in the nursery class. Ditto at the playgroup.

It's not all bad news here.

dearbeatrice I am sure that for the 'professionals' involved in this case a nervous breakdown will not be far away. Will that be enough 'punishment'?

Izyboy, I haven't read this whole chain, and respect your point above. But I do feel that where child safety is involved, there isn't any room for error. Either there is human error at a direct level or the system itself is wrong. Either way, that means someone has failed doesn't it. Punishment was a word I used perhaps too lightly - for the professionals I'm sure they will be devastated by this, every normal human would be, and their involvement isn't something that they would have chosen. All I know is, if I was in that job, and was seeing a child in any state of suffering, I'd wnat to think that I'd be relentless in seeking safety for the child, regardless of whether the system allowed or prevented it. I accept it's easy to say as someone not in the field, and I admire those who do, but I dont' think I'm wrong to feel that the system should be without flaws by now. I'm not proposing that the line be drawn at any point - there is a line of management isn't there - and it failed an innocent life. I don't see any margin for error here, I'm sorry.

I think it is clearly documented in the media that the social worker involved in the Victoria Climbie case suffered from terrible emotional and mental trauma in the aftermath of the case.

Any newly qualified social workers would look at her situation and think 'no way am I working for Child and Family services.'

What I am trying to say is that we need to have some faith in our social workers otherwise we will not be able to recruit bright, dedicated staff.

izzyboy, i agree with dearbeatrice.
nervous breakdown or not, its slightly too late.

as you know baby p was on the protection register, and he was still not saved from this abuse,the social workers would have been aware there were family problems.
to me, the neglect of baby p includes the professionals involved.

im sorry if that sounds harsh. its how i personally feel.

Sorry crossed posts db - I am sure that if it was as simple as seeing abuse and being able to do something effective immediately it would have been done. NOBODY in their right mind being party to the facts we now have would not have acted removed the baby P immediately.

I am certain there were human errors and what seems really odd is that checks and balances failed. However I would be very concerned about scapegoating individuals.

I hadn't read that about the other social worker, and agree that it's terrible. I didn't mean to sound glib, only making the point that in all jobs there has to be accountability, and surely the most in a role like they have. My personal feeling is that there is a lack of priority at the top (prime minister & government level) for what really needs investment. The money should really be thrown at protection of children, not some other things which are paid for ie olympics etc. oversimplifying I know, but just feeling so sick at how we all let this happen. it's a society thing too isn't it. that a child goes unprotected.

I'm sure we all agree that something needs to be done, and that can only be implemented at the highest level, to ensure that the system saves all children, and vulnerable individuals like old people, from this type of horror. I feel strongly that priorities are wrong in society on a large scale, and we're all to blame for that.

matildax you are ofcourse welcome to that opinion and really dont want to turn this into too much of a debate.

However until you and I have done the job of a Child and Family social worker I dont think we can fully know what they could possibly have done under the circs. Even then we dont really have the full facts of the case. So I would rather not 'hang' the professionals yet, only my opinion tho.

of course izzyboy, me neither.i was not trying to debate. i just think that society failed this little boy. not just the horrendous 'parents'. i admit though we do not know the whole facts. i reckon i am just really really angry and very very upset.

dittany, i have no idea, but they should have the checklists you mention. you would think a simple list like that would be top of the social work agenda.