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January 2002 Archived News
Friday 25 January
WITNESSES TO BE CALLED IN WEEK BEGINNING JANUARY 28
CARL MANNING, one of the two people convicted of murdering Victoria
Climbié, will have his evidence played to the Inquiry into
the eight-year-old girl's tragic death next week (28 January).
Manning, who was found guilty of murder and child abuse alongside
Victoria's great-aunt, Marie-Therese Kouao, will have his videotaped
evidence played on Wednesday, after Haringey council Director of
Social Services Anne Bristow completes her testimony. The recording
of Manning's evidence took place via a link from Leeds Combined
Court.
It was in Carl Manning's flat in Tottenham, north London, that
Victoria was tortured and starved for months on end. She and Kouao
moved in with Manning in July 1999, seven months before she was
killed.
Manning told police that he and Kouao started to abuse Victoria
when she began wetting herself and then became fully incontinent.
The urinary incontinence developed about a week after she and Kouao
moved to Tottenham and followed an argument between Manning and
Kouao. Manning's response was to discipline Victoria. At first he
would slap her. By late July, he was using his fist.
One entry in his diary, which he has handed over to the Inquiry,
makes for particularly disturbing reading. The entry for 31 December
1999, where he describes a row that he and Kouao had on New Year's
Eve, says: "Marie was sitting at de bus stop…She threw
herself to de floor and started rolling about on de ground and kicking
her feet like a spoilt child. After a minute or so she got up from
the ground and walks to de flat in bare feet to release "Satan"
from her bag…"
Kouao gave her evidence direct to the Inquiry in the Hearing Room,
on Tuesday 8 January, after two parties with a close interest in
the investigation - Victoria's parents and Haringey council - had
requested that she be called to testify in person.
Organisations and individuals wanting to submit ideas to the second
stage should email their evidence to victoria-climbie-inquiry@vci.gsi.gov.uk
or post it to the Inquiry at: Room 302, Hannibal House, London,
SE1 6TQ. Submissions for each seminar must be received at least
16 calendar days before the particular discussion group takes place.
Detailed information about Phase Two can be found on the Inquiry
website at www.victoria-climbie-inquiry.org.uk.
Contact:
Paul Rees, Communications Manager
Tel: 020 7972 1999
Fax: 020 7972 1981
Mobile: 07884 473 355
paul.rees@victoriaclimbie.org
Thursday 24 January
DETAILS ANNOUNCED FOR SECOND PHASE OF INQUIRY
THE CREATION of a 'virtual child protection agency' is one of the
possibilities that will be looked at in Phase Two of the Victoria
Climbié Inquiry, it has just been revealed.
The idea to pool information held by social services departments,
police, NHS, and other relevant organisations, under certain category
headings, such as 'all children under ten', or within particular
geographical areas, will be assessed in one of five seminars that,
together, will constitute the Inquiry's second phase.
The proposition to encourage agencies to share their knowledge,
through the enhanced use of modern information technology, has been
placed on the agenda because some involved in child protection complain
the present system is hindered by frequent changes of organisation,
with the boundaries of local authorities, health and police authorities
rarely settling or coinciding.
It is one of several ideas that will be considered, agnostically,
at the fourth seminar, entitled Service Provision and Delivery,
on Friday 19 April. According to details of Phase Two published
today, the other discussion groups are to be entitled: Discovery
and Inclusion; Identification; Determining Requirements; and Monitoring
Performance. They will take place on Friday 15 March; Friday 22
March; Friday 12 April and Friday 26 April respectively. All seminars
will consider ways to prevent a repeat of the Victoria Climbié
tragedy and only after their completion will Inquiry chairman Lord
Laming formulate a set of recommendations on the way forward.
Around 20 people will be invited to express their views to each
of the six-hour sessions, which are to be chaired by Inquiry leading
counsel Neil Garnham QC. Among those to be invited will be frontline
staff and MPs.
Organisations and individuals wanting to submit ideas to the second
stage should email their evidence to victoria-climbie-inquiry@vci.gsi.gov.uk
or post it to the Inquiry at: Room 302, Hannibal House, London,
SE1 6TQ. Submissions for each seminar must be received at least
16 calendar days before the particular discussion group takes place.
Detailed information about Phase Two can be found on the Inquiry
website at www.victoria-climbie-inquiry.org.uk.
Contact:
Paul Rees, Communications Manager
Tel: 020 7972 1999
Fax: 020 7972 1981
Mobile: 07884 473 355
paul.rees@victoriaclimbie.org
Friday 18 January
WITNESSES TO BE CALLED IN WEEK BEGINNING 21 JANUARY
A DIRECTOR of Social Services, who - according to the Victoria Climbié
Inquiry leading counsel Neil Garnham QC - has criticised the way
her own department used to work, will give evidence next week (January
21-25).
Brent council's Director of Social Services Jenny Goodall, along
with Assistant Director of Children's Services Mimi Konigsberg,
will be questioned as to whether the authority missed a key opportunity
to help Victoria in summer 1999, after it's one-stop shop received
an anonymous call saying the eight-year-old girl was in danger.
The appearance of Ms Goodall and Ms Konigsberg comes after Inquiry
chairman Lord Laming interrupted proceedings, on Thursday 11 October
2001, to ask Brent council to investigate a number of serious allegations
made by Edward Armstrong, a Brent social services team manager.
Mr Armstrong, who is currently suspended, claimed in his evidence
to the Inquiry that the council put unaccompanied children, as young
as 13, into bed and breakfast accommodation, prematurely closed
case files and turned away children in need.
According to Mr Garnham, when Ms Goodall took up her post in September
1999, she discovered her department was experiencing difficulties
recruiting staff. She had particular concerns about unallocated
cases and a lack of senior management leadership. She was also concerned
about the duty and child protection systems, and noted that the
lack of senior management had led to inadequate service planning.
Ms Goodall and Ms Konigsberg took up their positions after Victoria
had left the care of Brent. They will appear on Tuesday.
Also appearing next week will be Norman Tutt, Ealing housing and
social services Executive Director.
Contact:
Paul Rees, Communications Manager
Tel: 020 7972 1999
Fax: 020 7972 1981
Mobile: 07884 473 355
paul.rees@victoriaclimbie.org
Friday 11 January
WITNESSES TO BE CALLED IN WEEK BEGINNING 14 JANUARY
THE FORMER Haringey council social work manager facing prosecution
by the Victoria Climbié Inquiry, for allegedly ignoring a
summons ordering her to attend the hearing on Monday 3 December,
will appear next week (14-18 January).
Carole Baptiste, who was line manager to Lisa Arthurworrey - Victoria
Climbié's social worker - is due to give evidence to the
Inquiry on Tuesday.
She is then scheduled to stand trial at Camberwell Green magistrates
court, on Wednesday 20 February, over allegations that she failed
to attend the Inquiry in obedience to the summons. If found guilty,
Ms Baptiste will face a maximum penalty of six-months imprisonment,
a fine of up to £1,000 or both. At a pre-trial hearing on
Wednesday 12 December, Ms Baptiste entered a plea of 'not guilty'
to the charge.
When Ms Arthurworrey gave her evidence to the Inquiry, she said
that Ms Baptiste spent a number of child protection meetings discussing
'her experiences as a black woman and her relationship with God'
instead of child protection issues.
Ms Arthurworrey also told the Inquiry that her manager was constantly
unavailable and cites one occasion when Ms Baptiste, 'arrived at
work at 11.30am, went to the gym at 12.30pm and did not return….that
same day'.
In addition, Ms Arthurworrey's evidence also reveals how serious
concerns about Ms Baptiste's time-keeping, lack of availability
and poor management were formally raised, by team members, with
a senior manager. Also - according to Ms Arthurworrey - Ms Baptiste
's supervision of Victoria's case consisted of 'discussions that
took place in the corridor, by my desk, but not during a formal
supervision session.' Ms Baptiste will appear on Tuesday.
Appearing on Wednesday, will be Gina Adamou, the then Lead Member
for Haringey Social Services Committee.
Contact:
Paul Rees, Communications Manager
Tel: 020 7972 1999
Fax: 020 7972 1981
Mobile: 07884 473 355
paul.rees@victoriaclimbie.org
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