Before the ‘Baby P’ Inquiry and before the Victoria Climbie Inquiry there was the Maria Colwell Inquiry.

This public inquiry, it’s report published in 1974, questioned why seven year old Maria was battered to death by her step father in 1973. It led to the creation of area child protection committees which are in place, supposedly, to oversee the protection, health, education and safety of children in danger.

Prior to the Climbie case it was the most significant inquiry ever undertaken – and yet still the situation exists that children are being abused and killed by their carers.

A Tale of Ten Children is a report which shows just how obvious it is that authorities still have not learned any lessons at all. The names of the children are:

1945 – Dennis O’Neill

1956 – Toddler Holdsworth (name has been withheld)

1967 – Micheal Buckingham

1973 – Maria Colwell

1984 – Jasmine Lorrington

1991 – Martin Nicoll

2000 – Victoria Climbie

2000 – Lauren Wright

2002 – Ainlee Labonte

2003 – John Gray (an unutterably heartbreaking case – 200 injuries to 92 parts of his little body)

A litany of failings that we as a society must all take responsibility for. I think we do – it’s those who CAN make a difference who pass the buck.

Updated article: Out of Sight Out of Mind

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