'Failure' in toddler torture case

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Lois suffered 'sadistic' abuse, her stepfather's trial heard




Social workers failed to spot the risks to a toddler who was tortured to death by her drug addict stepfather, a report has found.

The girl, named as Lois in the report, was killed by Daniel Bishop, 28, four months after he moved into her home in Caerphilly in 2004.

Social workers were concerned about her welfare in the weeks before she died but did not act, said the report.

It has made eight recommendations, including improved training for staff.

Lois died four years ago aged two after she was systematically abused, tortured and ultimately killed by her stepfather Bishop, who had a history of violent offending.

He was jailed for 12 years.

Lois' mother Sarah, 30, a long term drug addict, was jailed for six years for "turning a blind eye" to the abuse.

When she died Lois was found to have 13 fractures, a cigarette burn and crushing injuries to her hands, as well as more than 50 bruises.


This case was complicated by the determined efforts of Sarah and Daniel Bishop to deceive professionals and cover up any signs of abuse
CSCB statement

On one occasion Lois suffered severe burns to her foot when her leg was placed over a gas cooker hob, Bishop's trial in 2007 at Cardiff Crown Court was told.

The little girl received no medical attention for her injuries and the court was told her mother did everything she could to hide her injuries from the authorities.

Neighbours on the Lansbury Park estate in Caerphilly said they had complained about the abuse but the court was told that the couple kept it hidden from social services.

In November 2004, Bishop shook the child so hard she suffered a brain haemorrhage and died two days later.

The judge referred the case to the children's commissioner and Caerphilly Safeguarding Children Board (CSCB) announced a multi-agency review into the case

Daniel Bishop married Lois' mother in January 2006

The resulting Maddocks' Report, published on Monday, found there was a "failure to recognise indicators of risk" and a collective "failure to react with sufficient clarity of purpose".

The report's author, Peter Maddocks, said: "At the time of her death she had been identified as a child requiring the protection of all the agencies contributing to the child protection conference.

"This status of being a child in need of protection should have happened much more quickly.

"Some of this is attributable to information not being shared effectively at an earlier stage, but in the latter months it is a failure to recognise indicators of risk and to make properly organised enquiries and assessments.

"When the child protection procedures were invoked, further delays occurred.

"Collectively, there was a failure to act with sufficient clarity of purpose."

Mr Maddocks also said Bishop's history, littered with convictions for drug abuse and serious offences, were indicators he presented a risk of violence.

However, Mr Maddocks added: "There is nothing to indicate injury to a child in his previous history."

His report found that "significant changes" to strengthen the safeguards for children in Caerphilly county borough had been made in the four years since Lois' death by all the agencies involved, but it still made eight recommendations.

This included mandatory training for staff working with drug abusing parents to help them recognise any disguised harm.

Other recommendations focused on improving risk assessment procedures and referral processes.

'High quality training'

Chair of the CSCB David Hopkins said Lois' death highlighted the challenges faced by professionals in dealing with child protection cases.

But, he added, even if enquiries had been more purposeful and structured, the outcome in Lois' case may not have been different.

He said that disciplinary action had not been taken against staff responsible for monitoring Lois' welfare.

"This case was complicated by the determined efforts of Sarah and Daniel Bishop to deceive professionals and cover up any signs of abuse or injuries to her," said the CSCB in a statement.

Lindsay Whittle, leader of Caerphilly council, said: "This has been a difficult and devastating case to learn about.

"As councillors, we want the residents in the communities of Caerphilly county borough to know we share their concerns and we will immediately act upon any information we receive to ensure this never happens again."

He added the social services department had been reshaped since 2005 as a result of the case.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7629290.stm

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Now imo these two should be treated the exact same way they treated that child.They should beat them until they have fractured their bones...burn their feet over a gas hob and stub fags out on their bare flesh...give them no comfort from their pain and leave their injuries un-treated...then just as this little one died....they should be shaken to death.

You know what as always bothered me though???the 'at risk' register.IMO if an authority as it on good knowledge a child is at risk that child should be moved immediately. Not placed on a list along with other children.If a child is said to be AT RISK of being abused why on earth are they left in that position.

IM well aware some children are on this register because their parents are also vulnerable people and are sometimes incapable of bringing them up properly without some sort of help or intervention from time to time.Thats fine...they aint abusing their children...just getting a little help to do things correctly. But if a child is being abused by another person...why leave them 'at risk'?? What is the 'at risk ' register really doing???IMO its just listing a whole lot of kids who are either being abuse...or likely to be abuse in one file.They should be being taken away from that risk..not left there.

it sickens me to the core that in this day and age people all over the land are crawling on all fours trying to find suitable help and support in circumstances they are finding hard to get out of.People are left alone trying to fight bullies that the authorities cant punish properly because our jails are over crowded.Call after call made my concerned neighbours,friends, and even victims themselves are being hurled from one authority to the next.......all passing the buck....writing little notes and filing each case like its all gone and dusted..sorted and solved when its locked in a draw in the office.When in reality..the pain and hurt still goes on.Sometimes ending in tragic circumstances such as this.

Time i think, for the government to take a stand against this sort of crime and start punishing the b######s that go around hurting other people properly.

Not only did the little angel receive prolonged abuse, but she died in their care and by their hands.

Twelve and six years imprisonment for putting that baby through what they did is an insult to the dear childs memory. The mother was well enough to scheme and deceive by doing all she could to hide her daughters injuries. I am not sure how much of that sentence she will serve, but if she got a third off for good behaviour, that would be four years. I do not know how they can ever live with themselves for putting that dear child through the torture they did and for the taking of her innocent life.

Truly shocking.

RIP little Lois