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http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/145733/One-neglected-British-ch...


Sunday December 13,2009
By Lucy Johnston

ONE neglected child is dying every week, a shocking study has revealed.

The report also shows that the same “failures and deficiencies” behind the tragic deaths are being repeated despite a string of high profile abuse cases, including baby Peter.

Carried out by Ofsted, the inquiry examined the deaths of 174 children known or believed to have occurred as a result of abuse or neglect during 2008 and 2009.

It linked neglect to the deaths of 50 children last year – nearly one child every week.

The figures are being highlighted today as part of a joint Sunday Express and NSPCC crusade to ensure child neglect becomes a political priority in the run-up to the next election. Most cases involved children under five and 24 were killed by a parent or carer.

Some were smothered, abused or drowned, while others died of malnourishment or thirst.

Diana Sutton, a spokeswoman for the NSPCC said: “Every day thousands of children in the UK are left without basic care or attention by neglectful parents.

“Neglect eats away at a child’s well-being and emotional health in a surprisingly short time. Children simply can’t wait for years to see whether things get better.”

Michael Gove, Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said: “After the baby Peter tragedy, the public expected a government who would take steps to improve child protection.

“But these figures show how far we have to go and underline the vital importance of reforming social work.”

Entitled Learning Lessons from Serious Case Reviews, the Ofsted report concluded: “The most common risk factor in the cases reviewed was neglect.” It also found the same local council failures behind the deaths were being repeated time and again. The Sunday Express and NSPCC crusade, called Protect Our Children For All Their Sakes, aims to highlight the extent of child neglect in Britain.

Last month we revealed that 123 children died between 2005 and 2007, many partly or largely caused by neglect.

One of them was Peter Connelly, who died aged 17 months in 2007 with more than 50 injuries received at the hands of his mother, Tracey Connelly, and her boyfriend, Steven Barker.

In another case just weeks ago, an Edinburgh woman was jailed for a year after she subjected two children to a lifetime of cruelty.

The woman pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Crown Court to ill-treating and abandoning the brother and sister, now nine and 11, between 1998 and 2005.

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