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Three doctors told police that Baby P was abused
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor18.11.08
THREE doctors warned that Baby P appeared to be a victim of abuse before he died, the Standard can reveal.
In evidence given to police and prosecutors, they said injuries sustained by the toddler, including bruises to his face and head, were “suggestive of non-accidental harm”.
The testimony was provided as part of a Met investigation that began in December 2006, eight months before the boy died aged 17 months.
The evidence was deemed insufficient to bring a prosecution, principally because it was impossible to prove precisely how and when the injuries had been caused and exactly who had inflicted them.
The revelations will, however, raise new questions about why Baby P was not taken into care by Haringey council in response to medical backing for suspicions that he had been abused.
In particular, it will focus attention on why, even if it was impossible to bring a criminal case, the fact that such a young child had suffered apparently deliberate injuries while in the care of his mother did not result in a decision to remove him.
Baby P's 27-year-old mother, her boyfriend, 32, and a 36-year-old lodger are awaiting sentencing after being convicted last week of causing or allowing his death. Baby P died after months of abuse despite 60 visits by social workers and health visitors.
Haringey has said that its lawyers concluded that the case for taking Baby P into care did not pass the legal threshold.
The doctors' testimony is contained in police files submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service following an investigation into allegations that either Baby P's mother or grandmother had inflicted actual bodily harm upon him in December 2006.
Baby P's mother said injuries had been caused while his grandmother, her mother, was looking after him but police could find no evidence of this and the grandmother was never charged.
The 2006 probe was launched after the child, who was less than a year old at the time, was admitted to the Whittington Hospital suffering from bruises to his forehead, nose, sternum and right shoulder.
The injuries resulted in his mother's arrest and Baby P was removed from her care. Despite initial protests by senior Haringey social worker Sylvia Henry he was placed temporarily with a family friend while the Met investigation continued. In total, baby P was seen by doctors and health workers 33 times. Prosecutors were sent the police file on the case in January last year, but the following month asked for the Met to provide further evidence.
The additional material was submitted by July and the Standard understands that it contained expert medical advice from three doctors, all of whom are understood to have agreed that Baby P's injuries were “suggestive of non-accidental harm”.
The doctors could not, however, say when the child's injuries had been sustained or exactly how they had been caused. This also made it impossible for them to say who had inflicted the injuries. As a result the CPS decided in July that no charges could be brought and told police.
On 31 July, three days before the child's death, a detective constable met the mother and told her there would be “no further action”.
A Crown Prosecution Service spokeswoman confirmed that although the medical testimony had indicated that deliberate injuries had been inflicted upon Baby P, it had not been possible to bring charges because of the lack of definitive evidence as to the culprit or the circumstances of any offence.
“A file containing allegations involving injuries to Baby P was given by the police to CPS on 9 January 2007,” the spokeswoman added. “The CPS requested further evidence including medical reports from the police in order to determine the age and possible causes of the injuries.
“In the light of all of the evidence made available to us we concluded that there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.”
The disclosure of the medical assessment also highlights why police clashed with Haringey social services in June, two months before Baby P's death, about his care after he sustained further unexplained injuries.
Although, according to Haringey council, police did eventually agree that the child should remain with his mother, other reports have suggested that there was a “frank exchange of views” between officers and social workers over whether this was the correct approach.
An official serious case review led by Haringey's head of children's services, Sharon Shoesmith, concluded that the council's staff were not to blame for the death, although three officials were given written warnings.
Haringey council admitted yesterday that “more could have been done” for the toddler but claimed it had followed procedures.
Reader views (20)
i hav a daughter myself and know at times babys can be damanding and hard to cope with espacially if you have ther children but waht them peole did to baby p is dispicable they deserve to bve hung he didnt asked to be brought into thid worl she chose to give birth to a beautifl baby boy and what they put him through is hurendus i cant believe it and for social services npt to recognise this is apalling i have no faith in the public systems that goes 4 the police the prosocution and the social for people like baby ps so called mothe the shoul bring back daeth by electric chair n let her on go the paun she brought on to her little baby boy. i was only 15 when i had my daughter and it was hard but what she did is unbelievable god rest baby p! xxxx
- becky cahill, southport,england
Hindsight is 20-20. There is a child today with bruises that may be non-accidental. Your choice – take that child into care and put them with foster carers? Of course. Child is placed for adoption but never placed so goes from foster carer to foster carer, ending up in a children's home and, like so many others, on drugs and in prison. In fact, the original bruises were purely accidental and a child has lost good and loving parents. There is another child today with bruises that may be non-accidental. Your choice – take that child into care and put them with foster carers? No, wait and see. Child dies. These decisions are never as simple as they appear afterwards to idiots with no sense of what is involved.
- Wills, London, England
Where was rhe childs birth father & grandmother when all of this was happening?
Social seervices placed him with a family friend why not his father?
The mother & the boyfriends names are being kept from eveyone but the lodger is named, what logic is there in that? All should be named & I hope in this case God turns a blind eye once they are sentenced & jailed, let the inmates deal with them.
- A, london
The Baby P was innocent and he was not in a position to say and convey grievance. These cruel people should be punished as soon as possible.
- Abdul Khan, Roehampton
Enough is enough, there is too much passing the buck at the moment between the Council, Police and other agencies involved with this case. Let's have an open Public enquiry headed by a neutral official, then we can see who was to blame. Lets really find out who's telling the truth.
- Roy Alchin, London UK
I watched Panorama last night in disbelief and hung my head in sorrow. How was this ever allowed to happen? What kind of life did that baby have? He never stood a chance. I don't understand how these people paid to protect him, probably with children of their own, could sentence an innocent child to his death. What kind of society have we become?
- Sharon, London
How sickening can it get, the dreadful pain and suffering by the poor infant. Heads should certainly roll.
Total disgust with all who had knowledge with what was going on and declined to act or monitor the situation properly.
Wonder if MPs ever bother to flag up such communications for following up!
- Tony Islander, Herts
This beautiful child should be playing and thinking about his nice warm bed instead of being spread across the ground like he was fertilizer. England seems to have all manner of common sense and I feel for the poor children of such a place.
- Bigarch, West Palm Beach, Fl. USA
Do not think for one second that there isn't many children around the country as we speak that are not in the situation this Baby P was in. Lessons need to be learnt and put into practice fast.
The clear fact that this cannot happen again and it is down to councils and the government to stop it.
- Stuart, Luton, UK
Who are we trying to protect by referring to the poor child as "Baby P". The perpetrators are once again being protected while an innocent child wasn't.
- Anna Gilbert, Colchester Essex
This poor child seems to have treated as a distraction by the well paid 'box tickers' who were supposed to be looking out for him.
- E.Smith, London UK
everytime I read about this poor little boy my eyes fill up with tears . He could have been saved by his evil parents they are not fit enough to be called parents . I hope he is resting now with the angels and no more harm can be inflicted on him now. God Bless xxxx
- Bernadette, london
I'm not a massive fan of kids; I don't see the point of them really, especially those born into dysfunctional benefit receiving families. We already have enough in the dole queue without producing more; however, I am appalled at any abuse of them.
How can it be that this poor kid's plight was raised by so many agencies and yet he still died in appalling circumstances? What compounds the crime of his death is that all the people who are culpable are running around trying to save their jobs. So many "professionals" from different agencies saw that he was being abused yet not one of them was prepared to put their head above the parapet and do something about it. Yes we know that you followed procedures; but that still doesn't make it right.
I am told that Britain is still a civilised society; unfortunately I see no evidence of this. It isn't just the social workers who should be hanging their heads in shame; it is the police, the doctors, everybody who saw that something was wrong but was happy for it to become somebody else's problem.
Britain has become no better than a third world country and I am ashamed to have been born in it.
- Casper Slides, France
if baby p was taken from his abusive mother in 2006 why did he get placed back with her as the that poor toddler must have suffered enough prior to be placed on the at risk registrar. only one thing has come from someones stupid mistake is baby p is at peace now and will not hurt anymore.
- Jennie Jones, merthyr tydfil
These people shouldn't just be sacked or resign. They, along with that excuse for a doctor, should all be prosecuted for child neglect and struck off the respective registers to stop them ever working with children again. I can't say anymore as my blood is boiling over with anger and disgust.
- Kate, London
I wondered where the grandparents were when all this was going on: it looks like this poor little boy was truly damned by everyone around him.
- Roz, Chamonix, France
Why on earth is it taking so long for heads to start rolling at Haringey? All their self justification is completely sickening. They are ALL guilty, every one.
- Jilly, London
Mindless politically correct Bureaucracy 1
Caring Common Sense and life of Baby P 0
- Mark, Bournemouth England
Everyone who heard this child's screams, saw his bruises and did nothing are to blame. I am not saying this to judge anyone but children so young cannot possibly defend themselves against those adults that would abuse them so it is up to all of us to save them at what ever cost. I've had to do it myself with strangers which was not easy but I would do it all over again. The most important part of it all isn't keeping the child from harm but the fact that at last for once, a grown up has taken the side of the child - children never forget and that's when the deeper psychic wounds start to heal.
- Sonia Martinez-Romaih, Santa Monica, CA USA
name the parents. Why are they being protected? I hope they get what they deserve!!
- Amg, London
