Baby P: what the papers say
Page-upon page of coverage was devoted to the 17-month-old child who received at least 60 visits from care professionals at Haringey LBC, none of whom succeeded in preventing his mother and two other men fatally abusing him.
* Baby P was one of 18 cases being covered by Haringey social worker Maria Ward - six more than the council’s own recommended level (Daily Mail, Nov 17)
* A foster family had been found for Baby P seven months before his death, but social workers plans were over-ruled. (Daily Mail, Nov 17)
* Message posted on the window of the Hornsey and Wood Green Labour Party offices calls for Haringey residents to stop paying their council tax until director of children’s services Sharon Shoesmith is “sacked.” (Independent, Nov 17)
* Cost-cutting put children at risk, whistleblower claims. An un-named former social worker says Haringey regularly “abandoned” vulnerable teenagers once they reach 16. (The Times, Nov 17)
* Baby P sparks call to put more in care. New deputy Children’s Commissioner Sue Berelowitz questions whether it is time to consider taking children away from problem parents earlier. (The Observer, Nov 16)
* Baby P uncle speaks out over the conviction of the child’s mother and two men for “causing or allowing the death of a child”. One of them, at least, is a murderer, he says. (Independent on Sunday, Nov 16)
* 61 Haringey head teachers have written a letter supporting the embattled borough director of children’s services Sharon Shoesmith. It praises her work, saying she "transformed a demoralised education service". (BBC, November 15).
* The mother of Baby P and the two other men convicted of causing or allowing his death were told by their Old Bailey trial judge to expect “significant terms of imprisonment”. (Guardian, Nov 15)
* Haringey social services were lauded with a three-star Ofsted report, despite the killing of Baby P and a whistleblowers claim that sex-abusers were not being tackled. (Independent, NO 15)
* Net unmasks sick killers - Baby P’s mother and boyfriend have been “named-and-shamed” on the internet. Facebook and Bebo have removed pages that purported to identify them, countering reporting restrictions imposed by the courts. (Daily Star, Nov 15)







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