Baby Victoria's body was found in a shopping bag in Brighton in 2023, after her parents concealed her birth and went on the run in an attempt to avoid contact with social services. Marten and Gordon, a convicted rapist, were both sentenced to 14 years for gross negligence manslaughter last year. The review, chaired by Sir David Holmes, sought to identify missed safeguarding opportunities, and to learn lessons from what the review called the "extreme case" of baby Victoria's death.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
Custody is being used as a waiting room for hundreds of children who are being unnecessarily locked up while awaiting trial or sentencing due to failing services, the children's commissioner for England has warned. Dame Rachel de Souza said many children were being placed in custody not because they posed the greatest risk, but because the systems designed to support them were failing.
Many health visitors were sent to work in other parts of the NHS at the beginning of the pandemic. Alison Morton, CEO of the Institute of Health Visiting, told the inquiry it was "inappropriate" as they "were needed most on their own front line". NHS England's Chief Nursing Officer Duncan Burton told the inquiry its response to safeguarding did not stop throughout the pandemic despite staff being diverted to critical services. Health visitors in almost two thirds of trusts in England were redeployed in March 2020, according to research by University College London.
Bishop Comiskey's death will rekindle memories of pain and suffering for many and I my thoughts and prayers at this time are also with all those who have been traumatized or let down by the awful sins and crimes and abuse perpetrated by members of the Church.
