A recent report has raised serious concerns regarding the death of a seven-week-old boy and the protection provided to his sister by authorities.
The Dorset child safeguarding practice review revealed that the baby died with rib fractures less than a year after his sister was hospitalized with a head injury.
According to the report, the parents were not prosecuted, but the girl was taken into foster care over a year later.
Margaret Tench, the author of the report, stated that authorities had enough evidence to safeguard the sister much earlier.
The girl, referred to as ‘Sarah,’ was hospitalized at four months old in August 2020. Her parents claimed she fell onto a concrete floor while being carried by a five-year-old. A hospital pediatrician accepted this explanation, and no further action was taken.
However, later information suggesting a different cause was never shared with police and social services, Ms. Tench noted. Her report did not provide further details.
Sarah’s brother, known as ‘Daniel,’ was found lifeless on May 17, 2021. An X-ray revealed rib fractures, but it wasn’t until July 2022 that a pathologist reported the baby had suffered “multiple rib fractures of varying ages,” which were “non-accidental.” This led to Sarah being taken into foster care in September, 16 months after Daniel’s death.
Ms. Tench concluded that agencies had enough information to protect Sarah shortly after the initial skeletal survey. She highlighted several system-wide issues, including early decision-making, professional curiosity, risk assessment, and delays in post-mortem report findings.
A criminal investigation into the parents ended in January 2024 with no charges being brought, the report noted.
