News

The manager responsible for supervising Victoria Climbie’s social worker between August and November 1999 could face a six month prison sentence after she failed to turn up to give evidence to the public inquiry into the girl’s death, writes Lauren Revans.

Carole Baptiste, who was Lisa Arthurworrey’s team manager until an office restructuring in November 1999, had been summoned to appear before inquiry chairperson Lord Herbert Laming and his team of experts after she failed to produce a written statement for the inquiry in the summer.

Baptiste blamed her earlier failure to co-operate on ill-health, but a psychiatric report found her fit to attend and give evidence.

Baptiste’s solicitors were unable to accept a summons requiring her attendance on her behalf in August because she had not instructed them to do so, and it was finally served to her in person last week.

Commenting on Baptiste’s breach of the summons, Laming said she had exhausted his patience.

"Without reservation of any kind, I instruct that the solicitor now lay information before a magistrate’s court so that criminal proceedings can be taken and I hope that these proceedings will be pursued as vigorously as possible," he said.

Laming added that he was satisfied that the inquiry team had done everything possible to help Baptiste get to the inquiry to give her evidence. Under the Local Government Act 1972, Baptiste now faces a six-month sentence, a £1,000 fine, or both.

Laming also expressed his annoyance with Haringey Council, after they produced 263 new documents to the inquiry. A summons was issued to Haringey social services director Anne Bristow requiring her to produce missing files to the inquiry after their existence came to light during proceedings.

Laming said he had seen no reason for why these documents had not been produced earlier, and that their late submission was "totally unacceptable".

"This is not only unfair to the other interested parties, and indeed to the witnesses, it is detrimental to the work of the inquiry," Laming said.

Counsel to the inquiry Neil Garnham QC said he would need to reserve the right to recall Haringey witnesses where appropriate to deal with matters arising out of the new material.

He added that there appeared to be only two possible explanations for Haringey’s failure to produce the documentation earlier: "Either incompetence on the part of Haringey Council or a deliberate attempt to avoid responsibilities to this inquiry."