Rhys Biggs - killed by his mother Claire Biggs & Paul Husband

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1141102/Social-services-failed-save-month-old-abused-crack-addict-mother-new-Baby-P-case.html

Social services failed to save two-month-old abused by crack addict mother in new Baby P case

By Sam Greenhill and Vanessa Allen
Last updated at 12:56 AM on 11th February 2009


A baby died with 13 broken ribs after suffering horrific cruelty at the hands of his crack addict mother, it emerged yesterday.

In chilling echoes of the Baby P case, the abuse took place even though the mother, Claire Biggs, was already known to health and social workers.

They had taken away her first child at birth but despite this let her look after her second baby, Rhys, at a woman's refuge and then at her boyfriend's flat.

The 27-year-old repeatedly postponed or missed appointments with health visitors but still no one in authority identified her two-month-old as being at risk.

Biggs had herself told officials that her son once spent eight hours screaming in agony.

On another occasion - a month before his death - a health visitor may have missed crucial signs of broken ribs.

By the time his short life had ended, the little boy's ribs were repeatedly crushed, his right wrist was snapped and shoulder broken.

Medical experts said severe force must have been used each time, causing extreme pain.

He finally died in May 2006. His blood-spattered clothes and teddy bear were strewn around his home.

Biggs and boyfriend Paul Husband, 33, were convicted yesterday of child cruelty - leaving the London boroughs of Camden and Newham to explain why Rhys had been left in such danger.

But both councils have refused to publish details of a review into what went wrong until after the couple receive what are likely to be lengthy jail sentences.

Rhys's horrific death has haunting similarities to the case of Baby P, who died after professionals missed 60 chances to save him before he was found in his blood-spattered cot in Haringey, North London.

Baby P, who died when he was 17 months old, was killed in August 2007 while in the care of his mother and two men.

All three were convicted of causing or allowing his death and face sentencing later this year.

Like Baby P's mother - branded an accomplished liar during her court case - Biggs dodged efforts to check on her newborn by using temporary addresses, including women's refuges.

Because the cause of Rhys's death could not be established, the defendants were charged with child cruelty rather than murder.

In her three-week trial at Inner London Crown Court, Biggs blamed her boyfriend and branded him a murderer.

But the jury was told she initially came to the attention of the health authorities as far back as 2001, when, at just 19, she became a mother.

At the time she was homeless and on crack and it was decided that her premature daughter, who cannot be named for legal reasons, should be taken into care.

In 2005, she began a relationship with Rhys's father but they went their separate ways while she was still pregnant.

Not long afterward, and before she had her son on March 9, 2006, she began seeing Husband.

Her movements became increasingly chaotic before she moved in with him at an address in Newham, East London.

Her case was transferred from Camden to Newham social services on April 24. Rhys was dead within a fortnight.
A post-mortem examination revealed a large number of bone fractures resulting from the use of severe force on at least three different occasions.

The first, caused by 'severe side-to-side squeezing' when he was just a month old, broke ten ribs on both sides of his chest.

Although it could not be proved the injuries caused Rhys's death, they were most likely deliberately inflicted, said Ian McDonald QC, prosecuting.

He said that in police interviews Biggs and Husband denied knowledge of the child's blood-stained clothing, each claiming the other did the laundry.

Husband begged the jury to believe he had nothing to do with the child's suffering.

But, after considering the evidence for three hours, jurors unanimously convicted Biggs on the basis of 'wilful assault' and Husband for 'wilful neglect' in ignoring the baby's suffering.

Remanding them in custody, Judge Lindsay Burn called for pre-sentence reports before sentencing them on March 10.

Outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Dave Marshall of the Met's child abuse investigation command, said: 'This was a very difficult investigation in view of the fact we could not establish the cause of death, although obviously Rhys had horrific
injuries.'

Kim Bromley-Derry, executive director for children and young people at Newham Council, said that every agency who had dealt with Biggs had already implemented the recommendations of a serious case review.

'Now the court case is finished, we will look closely again to see if there are any implications for the way we deal with the protection of children,' he added.

'We intend to be transparent about the facts of this case and we intend to publish the review once the legal process is complete.'

RIP little one

pm wrote:

RIP little one

This is just news now paula. It happened in May 2006. I hope they didnt try and hide this

SharonS wrote:

pm wrote:

RIP little one

This is just news now paula. It happened in May 2006. I hope they didnt try and hide this

May 2006?

He had broken ribs 10th Apr and seen by health specialists on the 12th and they noticed nothing?? Surely he must have been showing some signs of distress, broken ribs are very painful and would it not affected his breathing/ heart rate as he would hve been in so much pain. How much time did they spend checking him over?? These professionals almost seem to regard these kids in a conveyor belt fashion. Also, how can they name these ppl when they couldn't name baby's P's murderers?? wONDER WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS?

This 'mother' was a crack addict, and had her other child taken away. So WHY did the Social Services allow her to keep this one??? Yet again the Social Services have failed a child in this country. Yet again, another young baby dies. This makes me so upset and MAD!!

RIP little one x

Binky wrote:He had broken ribs 10th Apr and seen by health specialists on the 12th and they noticed nothing?? Surely he must have been showing some signs of distress, broken ribs are very painful and would it not affected his breathing/ heart rate as he would hve been in so much pain. How much time did they spend checking him over?? These professionals almost seem to regard these kids in a conveyor belt fashion. Also, how can they name these ppl when they couldn't name baby's P's murderers?? wONDER WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS?

The difference is....this one didnt happen in Haringey!!

This is disgusting! It obviously happens all the time and the cases are hidden from the public to protect the social workers who did nothing to help these children!!!

By the way Binky....Baby P's killers were named at first and when the public had a field day over it...their names were hidden hoping ppl wouldnt find the names.....but someone did find them.....

https://missingmadeleine.forumotion.net/baby-p-f51/the-killers-were-named-on-17-august-2007-by-the-bbc-t1818.htm

I cant believe all these stories about beaten children. I just saw another one too where social services let her down. I'll add a thread now.

RIP Little baby

I only read half of this story. I can't read the rest. My stomach is turning. I repeat myself again. These parents should be sterilized so they can't have any more kids

RIP little fellow...may your life with the Angels, be all that it shoud have been ,here on Earth.

Your a special little spirit ,the great master said
as he gently caressed the hair of the little spirits head.
You need to go to earth to spend some time you know,
a place i send most spirits to be tested,to learn to grow.

The little spirit in sadness,slowly bowed his little head
and from his eye a tear did steal and down his face it shed.

I need to test the people who will have you in their care
to see if they appreciate just how precious you are there.
Don't you fret now ,little one i won't let you stay to long
I'll bring you back to help me here,you'll hardly know you've gone.

Your my choicest little spirit and your the apple of my eye and he wiped
the tear and gently kissed his little spirit good-bye.

When he saw how you were treated his special little one,
he quickly sent his Angels down to bring you striaght back home.

Oh gentle little spirit you have been so very strong.

R.I.P

Councillors demand to know why they were not informed about investigations

SECRECY within Camden’s children’s social services department has been severely criticised after councillors have learned that they were not informed of investigations into the deaths of children who suffered abuse or neglect over the past three years.
Last week Liberal Democrat Councillor Janet Grauberg, the head of children’s services, told the New Journal she had twice announced that everything was being done to prevent a case similar to that of “Baby P” in Haringey taking place in Camden while unaware the council was linked to a criminal case of cruelty or that another two cases were under review.
Councillors only became aware of the court case when Claire Biggs, 27, was last week found guilty, along with her partner, of cruelty to Rhys Biggs, a two-month-old baby who died of his injuries in March 2006.
Although Rhys died in Newham, his mother had been an occasional resident in a Camden refuge during her pregnancy and he had briefly come under the care of the council and the Royal Free Hospital.
As a result, Camden was required to take part in an independent review which made clear that in November 2006, although the death could not have been anticipated, some parts of the council’s services should be improved – “gaps in services” for which the council has apologised.
Yesterday (Thursday), while the Town Hall refused to answer questions on the case, former head of children’s services Cllr Geethika Jayatilaka said the information “vacuum” was “really shocking”.
She said: “There are very serious questions to be asked about how this was allowed to happen.
“In recent weeks, following Baby P, we have had discussions in the Scrutiny Committee and discussions in full council in which we asked as councillors for information that would help us make sure it is working as it should be.
“At no point in that process did any officer mention that there was this case. There seems to be a vacuum here, when more than ever in the current climate we need to be assured that things are working.
“It is a real cause for concern.”
Councillors responsible for scrutinising children’s social services – who had been given an “all-clear” briefing by officials on February 3 following the Baby P scandal – only learned about the three-year-old Rhys Biggs case by reading the newspapers last week.
Two other investigations, relating to deaths in 2007 and 2008, have also emerged, although the details have not been published.
Labour councillor Heather Johnson, the chairwoman of a council committee responsible for examining the performance of children’s services, said yesterday she had written to the council’s chief executive, Moira Gibb, demanding an explanation and a review of Town Hall policy. Cllr Johnson said: “The executive member [Cllr Grauberg] holds the department to account over recommendations in serious case reviews. That’s their job, and it is Scrutiny’s job to scrutinise that person. But you can’t deal with anything that’s hidden.”
Serious case reviews take place automatically whenever the death of a child or vulnerable adult gives rise to concerns about abuse or neglect. Anonymised versions are published so that agencies such as social services or hospitals can learn lessons from each incident.
The review into Rhys’s death, released last Wednesday night, contained six recommendations for Camden social services.
In a statement issued last week, the council said it had fully addressed the recommendations made by the review.
Over the past week, the New Journal has asked a series of questions and invited Cllr Grauberg and officials to be interviewed. These included clarification of the dates that Cllr Grauberg had been made aware of the baby Rhys case after taking over as cabinet member for children’s services last year, and questions over whether residents could feel assured that recommendations made in serious case reviews were being met.
A Town Hall press official said yesterday that the council would not supply any dates and would not comment on these questions or on this case. Cllr Grauberg did not respond.
The spokesman also said that Ms Gibb would not agree to be interviewed.
Ms Gibb was appointed head of the national Social Work Taskforce set up by Children’s Minister Ed Balls following the Baby P case.

Sept 2005: Claire Biggs, a 24-year-old who had fled domestic violence and was living in a woman’s refuge in Camden, books into ante-natal care at the Royal Free. Concerned midwives alert hospital social workers.

Dec 2005: Claire Biggs starts relationship with Paul Husband and spends some nights with him in Newham.

March, 2006: Rhys Biggs born in Newham. Mother and baby discharged to Camden women’s refuge after six days. Case transferred to long-term social work team but was not allocated to a specific social worker.

Mid April 2006: Claire Biggs moves to Newham flat. Case transferred from Camden to Newham social services.

May 2006: Rhys Biggs dies in the flat of Paul Husband, 33. He has 10 broken ribs and a broken arm among other injuries.

Nov 2006: Serious Case Review makes six recommendations to Camden social services. These include allocating a specific social worker and getting police checks on new partners such as Mr Husband, who was later found to have a child sex conviction.

Dec 2008: In wake of Baby P case in Haringey, Cllr Janet Grauberg makes formal announcement that Camden will “check and check again” to ensure social services are fit.

Jan 2009: Cllr Grauberg repeats assurances to full council.

Feb 3 2009: Children and Families Scrutiny Committee are given report into Camden’s review of Safeguarding Children services. The report make no mention of Rhys Biggs or two subsequent Serious Case Reviews.

Feb 11 2009: Trial of Claire Biggs and Paul Husband for child cruelty ends with their conviction. Cllr Grauberg tells New Journal she had been informed of the case shortly before the trial, but not when she made announcements to council.

Feb 17 2009: Labour councillors write letters demanding explanation to chief executive Moira Gibb.

http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2009/021909/news021909_10.html