Baby P: The official files
Detailed documents chronicling every tragic moment in the short and horrific life of Baby P can be revealed for the first time today.
The comprehensive file gives a hitherto-unseen insight into the transformation of the 17-month-old toddler from a healthy infant into the victim of systematic and horrific abuse which was repeatedly missed by social workers. They chart every significant day in the youngster's life from birth to death.
Beginning at his birth on 1 March 2006, the document tells of his first innocent trips to the doctor to be weighed and treated for nappy rash. But within seven months the reasons for the visits had become more sinister.
His first non-routine trip to a doctor came on 13 October 2006 when he visited his GP, Dr Jerome Ikwueke, with bruises to his head and chest after what the document calls an accidental fall downstairs.
Two months later, on 11 December, he visits Dr Ikwueke, this time with bruising to his forehead, nose, sternum and right shoulder. On the same day he is seen by specialists at the Whittington Hospital, north London.
The following day he is examined again and referred to a child abuse investigation team. The police investigation began on 15 December. On 19 December, the boy's 27-year-old mother, who was last week convicted of causing or allowing her son to die, is arrested for the first time. She is freed on bail.
When the boy is discharged from hospital he is released into the care of Angela Godfrey, a family friend. Heartbreakingly, Baby P's only Christmas was spent with Ms Godfrey and not at home with his mother and siblings.
Also revealed in the early part of the documents are two separate trips Baby P's mother made to a doctor. On 9 June 2006 – three months after her son was born – she visits a doctor for depression. A month later she sees the same doctor to discuss relationship problems she had with the child's natural father. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, left Baby P's mother when he discovered her infidelity, but stayed in contact with his son.
In January 2007, the child returns to the hospital for X-rays on his legs and nappy rash. Meanwhile, his mother is examined by a mental health worker.
On 2 February, a Haringey Council social worker, Maria Ward, is appointed to the family. She visited Baby P at home for the first time on 22 February. She made 10 visits to his home in the six months she was their social worker, eight scheduled, two unannounced.
Meanwhile, another social worker said yesterday that she and police officers had raised concerns about Baby P being returned to his mother early in 2007. Sylvia Henry, a team manager at the Tottenham social work office, arranged a foster care place for the toddler but claimed she was overruled by a manager, who insisted that he be placed with Angela Godfrey.
However, Haringey Council has denied this. A statement released yesterday said: "That meeting agreed a plan for his return home and this was agreed with the police."
In April the child was taken to North Middlesex Hospital's A&E unit with bruising to his face and swelling to his head. The document notes that the mother claims the injuries were caused by another child who pushed Baby P into a fireplace four days earlier. It says that Baby P was unsteady on his feet and holding his head to one side.
The following day, on 10 April 2007, the child is referred to a child development centre after his mother and social worker apparently became concerned that he likes to bang his head against things. On 11 April he is discharged from hospital and sent home.
A month later the child's mother is interviewed by police under caution, relating to her arrest for assault on Baby P on 19 December. Three days later the police visit the family home, in Tottenham, north London, and take photographs of the child and the furniture and seize one of Baby P's toys.
Between 12 and 26 June, Baby P is looked after by Anne Walker, a childminder. Earlier this week she claimed she warned social services about the child's injuries, but says her warnings went unheeded. She said: "He was dying. I told them about his state. I said things were not right. But nothing was done. If someone had taken action we would not be mourning the loss of a baby's life. The warning signs were all there."
In July 2007, the month before Baby P's death, his mother takes him to the hospital twice to have him checked for an ear infection and an allergic reaction caused by red Leicester cheese.
Three days before he died, Baby P's mother sees her GP to complain she is stressed by accusations she has hurt her child. A day later she was told that she would not be charged over allegations she had assaulted her son. It was on or around these days that Baby P sustained his fatal injuries.
On 1 August 2007, Dr Sabah Al Zayyat examined Baby P at St Ann's Hospital in Tottenham. It was the last time that any medical professional had a chance to save the child. However Dr Zayyat failed to notice that the child had broken ribs and a broken back. Instead she notes that he is "quite miserable" and crying. She adds that it was not possible to make a full examination.
The document ends with 14 entries detailing Baby P's death. A 999 call was made at 11.36am on 3 August. Four minutes later, the ambulance arrived at the house. Half an hour later the child was declared dead at hospital and police were called. At 1.45pm Baby P's mother was arrested.
'Hit squad' to be sent to Haringey
*An emergency "hit squad" is about to be ordered into Haringey Council to take over the running of its troubled social services department, Nigel Morris writes.
Ed Balls, the Children's Secretary, is preparing to act within a fortnight. Ministers hope the move will force the council to suspend senior staff, including its director of children's services, Sharon Shoesmith. Mr Balls told MPs he would "not hesitate" to act on the findings of an inquiry into the mistakes made in the case of Baby P.
The Government also plans to give extra powers to "children's trusts", which aim to protect youngsters. And Mr Balls announced details of a review by Lord Laming into child protection procedures.
Who's who in the documents
Dr Jerome Ikwueke
The GP who saw Baby P in the first untroubled months of his life and later spotted the injuries which raised suspicions that he was being abused in December 2006. He referred Baby P to specialists at the Whittington Hospital in north London.
Dr Heather Mackinnon
The consultant paediatrician at the Whittington who examined Baby P and was so concerned at his injuries that she contacted Haringey social services. She expressed concern at the suggestion he should be returned to his mother.
Angela Godfrey
The family friend who was given care of Baby P in December 2006 after he was released from hospital. She pressed for the infant to be returned to his mother.
Maria Ward
The social worker appointed to Baby P's case in February 2007. She made 10 visits to the family home, the last occurring four days before his death. She declared herself content with the protection plan for the toddler.
Paulette Thomas
A health visitor who first visited Baby P's home in March 2007. She saw him only four times before his death after his mother cancelled appointments. Thomas reported no problems at his one-year development check.
Dr Sabah al Zayyat
The paediatrician who was the last doctor to see Baby P alive. She failed to spot his broken back or ribs and claimed he was moving his legs when she examined him two days before his death. She is the only individual who has faced censure for her conduct by being banned from working with children unsupervised.
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Never met you and even though all around the world children are abused by the hour, there is something about your case that has touched every single cell in me. You are at peace now little one, nobody can hurt you anymore, and in the Bible there is a promise that you and all others like you, will have a chance to live in a world where people that have hurt you and a system that has let you down will be no more.
So rest, little sweetheart. I hope to be a part of that new world and I hope to meet you and I know you will have the life that you deserve.
To those that hurt you in your short life.....
You tortured him and treated him inhumanely, but just remember, he was not an animal and though I am tempted to call you animals, its an insult to them, because animals kill for their young!! I don't know how you can live with yourselves, but I do know that you will never again have peace, not as long as you live, for the memory of your actions will remain with you forever.
they failed that boy , and they cant even admit it !!
i find it hard to come to terms with the fact that he was admitted
on so many occasions and still no one saw the abuse this poor
deflencess lad was suffering at the hands of such vile things
broken ribs , a broken back , fingertips missing , bite marks
thats disgracefull that they missed all the signs !!
he had no chance , i wish i could of been there for you
little man , my heart goes out to you . Shame that it
took youre death for them to see !!
DISGUSTING. the doctors, police and social services are just as guilty as the people who did this to Baby P.
I would love to know what Gordon Brown is going to do about it? I wonder what the Royal family think?
I think this is a traversty of justice if ever there was one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They should have to endure the same treatment as that poor child and fell what it is like ands never see the light of day again.
I think torture and execute maybe send them to a prison in Zimbabwe.
Gale - South Africa
Nothing has been heard since last December.
The mother and her partner have still not been named.
In similar cases the perpetrators have been named.
Is there some kind of cover up going on?
Bill
Glasgow
It will never change, this will happen again and again. It may be good to keep the family together but if all that was happening and people knew he was in danager then that child should of been taken away.
All them signs, injuries he had and a stupid doctor can't even notice a BROKEN BACK!!!! sack her i say.
I work with children myself and I feel for baby p, he needed your help and u turn away.
SHAME ON YOU EVERYONE THAT WAS THEIR TO PROTECT HIM. YOU FAILED HIM JUST LIKE YOU FAILED VICTORIA. and trust me it will happen AGAIN.
"Independent minds"? Not too sure about that.
It goes without saying that this is sickening.
It is however, too easy to blame those individuals who work within a system so fundamentally flawed; many constantly work under the preposition that, even when a child is living in terrible conditions, they are better off because they are with a parent/parents.
I am aware of a social worker who's superiors would not let her remove a child for a household even though the house had excrement on the walls, there was no furniture, and the parent had a recent history of drug abuse. They couldn't allow it because it still wasn't considered drastic enough of a situation to cross the line that the system has drawn.
Until this changes, until we consistantly take children away before the situration gets so serious, more children will suffer and die. Of course however, the government would suddenly have to pay to support an awful lot of children - and i do wonder how many of the people who have posted on here have been rallying for more funds to go into the care system rather than just condemning those close to this case, many of which i'm sure were only acting within "standard working practice".
I am a Social Worker and i would prefer to lose my job than let something like this to happen.
I have learned in my 5 years of study that in a situation like this ETHICS overcomes everything.
Lets not make excuses where there is not reason to excuse anyone. A baby has died because selfish people choosed the wrong profession to commit.
Kind Regards,
Estela
How did so many let it happen...............
Say NO to a new identity for her, let her face up to what she has done! Why should tax payers money protect that piece of filth when it could be better spend protecting our precious children. Do the crime - do the time.
as for the baby he is in a better place with god i hope if he has other siblings that they are having a better life and dos'nt the blame for this lie with all of us should'nt we as parents insist that all the children of this country be able to have the protection of the authoritys i feel as if we turn a blind eye to the problems around us and dont let our voices be heard our leave it to someone else attitude is just as guilty
I beg social worker please don't get it wrong again, the nation and myself cannot take it no more. Please protect our children of tommorrow.
Dear Baby P, your pictures fills me with tears, everytime I think of you my stomach cringe. I can hear you scream, my mind try to replay what you must have gone through on that fatal day before you die.
That is a bit harsh. I am a Social Worker and have been for the past 5/6 years..the last thing I want is any child to suffer. We work hard everyday to help families, to support where we can. I just wish that the media, that the public can also realise the battles we have - not just with management to bring our recommendations across, but also with families where we believe that change is needed. Articles like these are not helping us to do our job, instead it is just demoralising us even more.... '
can you in your role please explain the file notes re 'injuries expected as a matter of course' because i am struggling with this....
god bless wee lad ...may you sleep in peace
What are all these highly paid, highly educated people wanting these innocent little children to do to stop all this from happening again, come out of the womb with the ability to shout 'HELLO I AM BEING TORTURED HERE!!!'
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, LEARN FROM ALL THE MASSIVE MISTAKES IN THE PAST AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE, TALK TO EACH OTHER, IF IN DOUBT REMOVE CHILD UNTIL IT CAN BE PROVEN THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
After that I hope they rot in hell
Grieving in the US
As a human being, mother and social worker i feel deeply concerned and horrified how this happened and how the people that should be there to protect him did not! (Biological family, social workers, doctors...)
This cannot happen again. This shouldnt happen never... never again!
RIP Baby P. You are now somewhere where you will be looked after the way you deserve to be.
As for baby P's parents, it is right for the public to know their names (technically their names were known on the internet for ages). I feel sick to the bone at the thought that even a penny of my tax money went to support tracey and steven sick, lazy, putrid life. A difficult, even abusive childhood is no excuse for torturing and killing their baby. They should face the public rage and hope to survive it.
when can we expect to see the fate of these babies http://www.geocities.com/cronyblatcher/
Something has GOT to be done with our so called system for protecting children from abuse. This CANNOT hapen again !
How can a licensed doctor not see the obvious, or is it called money. Are these people completely stupid not intelligent, an accidental fall as an infant is nothing to laugh at as this doctor just brushed it off as an accident, an infant doesnt just have a fall down the stairs, no one was supervising him thats why or he got pushed, thats maybe happened after a night of drinking, he was crying, he was a burden. the doctor got paid for the visit many times. the doctor should pay back if he was paid by any state funding. This childs mother should feel the same pain, abuse as her child felt and went through. if she was a messed up head case then she should have not had a child at all. and here doctors should have tied her tubes. she should have been responsible enough to do that but she didn't, she chose to get herself pregnant knowingly that she was not fit to take care of the child. and chose to ignore what those 2 people monsters were doing to her child. she should have thrown them out, she chose sex over her own childs safety, she failed to protect her own child. let me tell you, im a mom, if I knew anyone guy was not treating my child right, they are out the door, which is the action I took precisely. I would tolerate anyone to yell, handle my child in any disrepectful harsh manner, for this I remained single parent for a long time. I love my son and would not let anyone hurt my child, no one. no man comes before my son, not even sex, which is all this pig called mother is all about. porn on the internet ya right, porn for what purpose, how do we know if she didnt sexually abuse her son. it was all three that caused the injuries. i do not believe for one minute she didn't do anything. She must be a good actress to make people believe and I people chose to look away and return back. this is the hardest part for me to believe. no one protected this child.
Sorry you had to be involved in a world whereby the helpers become the killers
In the life that I lived you turned me purple and blue
You broke my bones and thought Cadbury's would do
I reached out my tiny hand for a stranger to care
But they were too busy for me and my curly blonde hair
I cried and cried as you broke me in two
I thought that was love at the end of your shoe
I lay down my head and twisted for breath
Then I closed my eyes and cuddled up to death
Now I'm free, the pain and tears have gone
But you didn't win and my smile shines on
My life was short but will last eternity
Because my name is Peter, not Baby P
Heath Allard