Baby P
This is a message I sent to a friend who asked me to join a petition asking for manslaughter charges to be brought against Baby P's social workers. I'm tired of ribbons and various groups for Baby P and here is why:
Sorry I won't join the petition and I felt strongly enough to tell you why. Working as I do with children I regularly have Child protection training. I see the children that fall under the radar and are badly scarred by their abusers (but since it doesn't fall into certain categories nothing is done as the authorities haven't the resources to deal with it).
I won't condemn anyone until the facts are made clear. It may not be the social worker's fault or may be, time will tell and then is the time to campaign ensure a suitable justice is applied.
When the facts came to light in victoria climbie's death then the social worker was at fault and was punished. Us failing Victoria started with a paediatrician doctor (and experienced in child protection cases) who diagnosed her cig burns as scabies because she could not comprehend someone being that cruel. The social worker did not visit victoria because she didn't want to catch scabies. The doctor was cleared because she made an incorrect dignoses as she could not imagine such scaring to be caused by anything but scabies... But the social worker was not cleared because she didn't visit for fear of catching an easily cured condition thus failed in her duty of care out of selfishness.
It's not that I don't care about baby p its that I mind a great deal that about 30 children each year die in the uk due to abuse and neglect yet only 1 death every few years makes it to the papers in such a way. What about those other children? Why has no other child hit our headlines in such a way since victoria climbie 8 years ago? How many children have died in that time?
I did a bit of research to check that death figure and it's far higher than I realised; recent findings say 4 at-risk-children die each WEEK in England alone. that's 208 a year.. more than 1660 since Victoria Climbie.
Clearly you feel strongly about this failure of our system; tis only a right & proper response.
I suggest reading Shattered Lives as it shows the scale in which we as a society and the system we have fail children. In some twisted way part of me feels glad for those that died as they haven't had to live on with the horrible scars inflicted on them by their original abusers and then by the system supposed to protect them. We as a society fail far too many children.
Remember there are many charities working to help children at risk that we can support;
NSPCC, Barnardo's, Action For Children, Kid's Company etc
My anger isn't aimed at you but the lack of awareness and the scale of the problem. It's only when a stupid tabloid paper takes up arms that we take note. My heart bleeds for baby p but more for the other 3 children who died that week that no one has mentioned. A tabloid petition or facebook group won't change anything. Making others aware of the scale of the problem, supporting children's charities and writing to your local MP demanding change/more funding will.