MP: Child safety more important than families
Senior MP claims child safety should come ahead of attempts to keep families together
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Wednesday, 12, Nov 2008 10:57
Child safety must come ahead of any attempts to keep families together, a senior MP has said.
Barry Sheerman, MP for Huddersfield and chairman of the Commons' children's, schools and families committee, told the BBC that social workers attempts to preserve families should not be placed ahead of keeping children safe.
Yesterday two men were found guilty of causing the death of a 17-month-old baby boy.
The child had been on the child protection register at the time of his death.
Following the verdict at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, children's minister Beverley Hughes called for a nationwide independent review of child protection services.
"I am worried about the system. There is a great fashion in the United Kingdom, at all costs to keep the child with the natural family," Mr Sheerman said.
"I recently took my committee to Denmark where they take double the number that we have as a percentage of the population into care because they have highly qualified people.
"I think we've got to look very carefully at that, very carefully indeed."
Jason Owen, 36, from Bromley, and a 32-year-old man, who can't be named for legal reasons, denied killing the 17-month-old infant who died in Haringey, north London in August last year.
At the time of his death, the baby was suffering from numerous injuries including eight broken ribs and a broken back.
At the Old Bailey the men were found not guilty of murder or manslaughter but instead guilty of "causing or allowing" the baby's death.
The infant's 27-year-old mother previously pleaded guilty to the charge.
They are due to sentenced to December 15th.
Two social workers and a lawyer have also been given formal written warnings, the Haringey local safeguarding children board confirmed yesterday.