No child should ever experience the months of extreme cruelty this six-year old boy was subjected to by those who are expected to care for him and keep him safe from any harm. The nation is rightly shocked by what Arthur endured, and by his murder.
We await the outcomes of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review and Independent Police Review, to gain a better understanding of the circumstances leading up to Arthur’s death including the role of the public services and safeguarding arrangements set up to protect Arthur and where they may have fallen short.
It will be important that anyone chosen to lead these are independent of current government reviews or reforms, so that their recommendations can include scrutiny of these. Whilst it is premature to comment on the exact details of this tragedy, what we do know is that our child protection system in England is under immense pressure and local authorities and partner agencies are struggling to meet the growing demands for their services, in light of over a decade of progressive and pernicious cuts to budgets.
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