The case of Khyra Ishaq
Ravi Chandiramani
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq, starved to death by her mother and step-father who have been found guilty of manslaughter, is the latest child protection tragedy to hit the headlines.
It's a case that puts a nasty dent into the slow rebuilding of morale in children's social work and child safeguarding more generally. But what are we to learn from it?
Well first, her death happened in Birmingham in 2008. Its safeguarding track record, certainly during that period, is notorious. Although we await the serious case review, Khyra's story is horribly familar - one of countless missed opportunities from children's social services to intervene. And we already knew Birmingham had problems. This does NOT make her death any less tragic or any more acceptable. But it IS a symptom of something that was already apparent.
Second, the police have to take their share of the responsibility. The deputy head at the school from which Khyra had been withdrawn did, we are told. at one stage contact the police who visited the house and said there was no cause for concern. Where was their 'duty of care' in this case, in Peter Connelly's and so many others?
Third, as we now know Khyra was home educated. The case has revived concerns of home educating being the mask for child abuse, a connection understandably reviled by home educators who want the best for their kids. Graham Badman, the man who conducted the government-commissioned review into home education, says it is a connection that applies to a "tiny minority" of home educators. The home educators have angrily resisted moves to regulate and monitor them. Their resistance is however now fatal. It must be an annoyance in this world to attract heightened suspicions just because of one thing. So this might not be the best comparison there is, but people who are Muslim - or aren't even Muslim but look like they might be - tend to get extra attention at airport security. Is that invasive? Sure. Is that necessary? Well IF it is, surely it's necessary that home educators are subject to some level of monitoring. It is not a simplistic case of guilty until proven innocent. It's a case of making sure. Child protection, like national and global security, is about making sure. Some home educators will accept this naturally. Too many don't. And that's a tragedy.