The case in question centred on a four-year-old disabled girl whoseparents have just been jailed for a total of 22 years for grievousbodily harm.
The parents inflicted severe and sustained violence on their daughter,who has cerebral palsy, when she came home after being taken into caredue to domestic violence in the family. Perhaps, not surprisingly, thishas caused some child protection experts and media commentators to drawparallels with the case of Victoria Climbie, who died seven yearsago.
The subsequent independent serious case review, which was commissionedby Westminster's local safeguarding children board, does suggest errorsof judgment were made. Among the key findings, it states that theassessments undertaken created "an inappropriately positive view ofparenting abilities" and professionals "were too parent-focused". Moreworryingly, it adds that the child was not seen on her own. As a result,one of its key recommendations is that: "Children returning home, orchanging placements, must be seen alone to allow them to speakfreely."
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