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Baby Peter 'was failed by all agencies'

Baby Peter's "horrifying death" was down to the incompetence of almost every member of staff who came into contact with him, official reports say.

Peter Connelly died in August 2007 at home in Haringey, north London, after months of abuse.

Details of his case, just published, reveal the incompetence of social workers, doctors, lawyers and police.

His mother, her boyfriend and a lodger were jailed last year for causing or allowing Peter's death.

The 17-month-old boy had suffered more than 50 injuries, and had been visited 60 times by the authorities in the eight months before his death.

Publishing the serious case review into Peter's death in full for the first time, Children's Minister Tim Loughton said he hoped it would bring "closure" to the case.

The report said: "In this case, the practice of the majority, both individually and collectively... was incompetent."

"Their approach was completely inadequate and did not meet the challenge of the case," it continued.

BBC

BABY P LEGAL BATTLE 'COST £500,000'

Sharon Shoesmith's legal battle to overturn her dismissal after the Baby P tragedy has cost the taxpayer nearly £500,000.

Ms Shoesmith was sacked from her job as director of children's services at Haringey Council in December 2008, and claimed she was made a scapegoat after the death of 17-month-old Peter Connelly.

She brought a High Court challenge against Haringey Council, regulator Ofsted and former children's secretary Ed Balls, the first round of which she lost in April but was granted leave to appeal in September.

Express

Baby P's Mum Lies About Abuse On Unseen Video


Skynews

SHARON SHOESMITH WINS APPEAL OVER BABY P SACKING

SHARON Shoesmith, who was sacked over the Baby P tragedy, has won her Court of Appeal battle today.

Three judges allowed Sharon Shoesmith’s challenge against a High Court ruling that cleared former children’s secretary Ed Balls and the local authority of acting unlawfully when she was dismissed as director of children’s services at Haringey Council over the Baby P tragedy

Ms Shoesmith said outside court: “I would love to go back to work (in Haringey) but that’s not possible but I hope to carry on with my career with children in some capacity.”

She said: “Having spent a lifetime protecting, caring (for) and educating children, my sorrow about the death of Peter Connelly in Haringey when I was director is something which will stay with me for the rest of my life.

“But as the judges have said, making a ’public sacrifice’ of an individual will not prevent further tragedies.”

Express

Baby Peter: how is it no one took the rap?

Today's court ruling in favour of former Haringey social services director Sharon Shoesmith raises serious questions about public officials' accountability. Ms Shoesmith was protesting against her sacking over the death of Baby Peter, who died at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend and lodger in August 2007 after months of abuse.

When the two men, Steven Barker and Jason Owen, were found guilty in November 2008, Children's Secretary Ed Balls ordered an inquiry. The following month it found a catalogue of failings in the Haringey department: Mr Balls announced Ms Shoesmith's effective sacking at a press conference.

In his eagerness to be seen to be acting decisively, Mr Balls behaved in a high-handed way. His treatment of Ms Shoesmith was arrogant and foolhardy, and may now end up costing the taxpayer perhaps £2.5 million in compensation. But the fact remains that Haringey's social services department was found to have been operating in a frankly shambolic fashion, even when dealing with some of the most vulnerable children in the borough. Thanks to those systemic failings, it missed numerous chances to save Baby Peter.

Blame for his death must rest with the evil trio responsible for his injuries. Nevertheless, public servants led by Ms Shoesmith failed in their most fundamental responsibilities. No senior heads have rolled except that of Ms Shoesmith, now vindicated - and this in a borough whose social services had been slammed by the report into the death there of Victoria Climbié just seven years before Baby Peter. People may ask, after all this, just what senior managers do have to do to get fired from a social services department. Many more will wonder if we can have any real confidence in those charged with protecting London's most vulnerable children - and that is a depressing conclusion to this terrible case.

ThisisLondon

Baby P chief set for £2.5million payout

Baby P boss Sharon Shoesmith was unfairly sacked to appease public outrage over his death - and could now be in line for a £2.5 million payout, judges ruled today.

The Haringey children's services director was unlawfully dismissed by former education secretary Ed Balls and turned into a "scapegoat" as a public sacrifice, the Court of Appeal said.
The decision opens the way for the 58-year-old manager to work in child welfare again, as well as receive damages and pension benefits worth millions.

ThisisLondon

Call for sacking over Great Ormond Street 'cover-up' of Baby Peter report

A government minister has called on the chief executive of Great Ormond Street hospital to resign for "covering up" a report which found serious health service failings in the Baby Peter case.

Lynne Featherstone, a junior Home Office minister, accused the hospital of withholding vital information about the children's clinic it ran in Haringey, north London, where a locum doctor missed a chance to save toddler Peter Connelly two days before he died

According to an investigation by BBC London, an independent report into the case carried out for Great Ormond Street in 2007 contained a number of criticisms, including the assertion by senior doctors that arrangements at the unit were "clinically risky," that there were too few staff, and that the locum doctor who examined Peter, Sabah Al-Zayyat, should never have been hired by the hospital because she had insufficient child protection training.

But, according to the BBC, the report was edited drastically by Great Ormond Street, so that many of the key criticisms and findings were erased before it was submitted to the official serious case review inquiry into Peter's death.

Guardian

Baby P's Father Has Libel Award Cut To £50,000

The natural father of Baby P, who was falsely accused of having been convicted of raping a 14-year-old girl, has had a libel award of £75,000 cut to £50,000.

Lawyers for the father, who can only be referred to as "KC", told High Court judge Mr Justice Bean in March that MGN Ltd, publisher of The People, was guilty of "one of the gravest libels imaginable".

Today, three judges in the Court of Appeal, headed by the Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge, said it was hard to exaggerate the seriousness of the publication of a false assertion that a man of good character had been convicted of the rape of a child.


HuffPost

Big Mac and flies:

Baby P mum flees burger joint after being recognised

FREED Baby P mum Tracey Connelly fled into the street in terror after being recognised in a burger joint busy with young families.

And she then demanded probation bosses move her to a flat in a new secret location.

Last night a source revealed: “Tracey sat down close to a group of mums with little ones and they recognised her straight away.

“I know she is meant to be trying to get back into society but she might have been best advised to avoid somewhere like McDonald’s.”

Connelly was jailed in 2009 after doing nothing to help her 17-month-old son Peter as he was tortured to death by her boyfriend Steven Barker and his paedophile ­brother Jason Owen.

She has been living in a ­hostel in the north of England since her release from prison in ­October.

Connelly, now weighing 22 stone, had hoped to relax with her McDonald’s meal after a morning’s shopping near the hostel.

But as she stuffed her face with a burger and fries a ­table of mothers with young kids recognised her and aimed four-letter abuse at her.

Frightened Connelly, 32, fled the diner clutching her drink.

Our source added: “A couple of the mums told her to get on her way in no uncertain terms and there were a few choice words thrown in her direction.

“Back at the hostel she then demanded staff move her into a flat somewhere else for her own protection.

“But she only has a few more weeks left in the hostel so she was told she’d have to tough it out.”

Connelly was jailed after Peter was found dead in his cot at home in Tottenham, north London.

He had 50 separate injuries. Owen and Barker were also caged.

She was released from Low Newton jail in Co Durham and is expected to get a new home “within weeks”.

DailyStar

Baby P boss Sharon Shoesmith awarded £680,000 payout by council after losing job

The sacked head of Haringey children’s services, which failed tragic little Baby P , has pocketed a £680,000 payout.

Shamed Sharon Shoesmith was fired from her post at the North London council following the publication of a damning report into the 2007 death of 17-month-old Peter Connelly.

Peter, known as Baby P, was brutally attacked for months by his mother Tracey Connelly, her boyfriend Steven Barker and his brother Jason Owen.

The trio were jailed in 2009 for the abuse. Shoesmith was let go a year earlier by then Children’s Secretary Ed Balls.


Mirror