News

Fear of the parents of a toddler who died covered in cigarette burns and weighing 21lb led professionals in Newham, East London, to "almost paralysis in terms of action", according to an independent review of the case released this week.

The report into agencies' handling of the case of Ainlee Labonte, who died aged two from chronic abuse and neglect in January this year, says "one by one the agencies withdrew from the family because they feared for their personal safety".

Report author Helen Kenward, an expert in child protection, concludes: "Ainlee was successfully isolated from those people who could have protected her" by the child's parents.


Leanne Labonte and Dennis Henry, who were jailed for 10 and 12 years respectively in September for manslaughter and cruelty (news, page 10, 26 September), had between them been banned from the housing office, had assaulted a health visitor and stolen their daughter's medical notes.

Health visitors and housing officers refused to carry out home visits, but remained in contact by letter.

Ainlee was seen, aged 31 weeks, by a dietician and paediatrician because her weight was dropping.

Newham social services, which had been dealing with the family, closed the active case and responsibility passed to the duty team, despite pleas from a nurse that it be kept open, after Labonte did not keep promises to health professionals that she would attend check ups.

For months Labonte, who was herself the subject of an emergency protection order aged 15, evaded agencies.


The review, commissioned by the area child protection committee, says that "the communication between agencies was not constructive", adding that there was a "failure to bring together all the information known about a dangerous family".

It has recommended that training in the area of direct work with dangerous families is given priority.

In August 2001, a social worker made a home visit but did not examine Ainlee and "expressed no surprise" that she was sitting in a high chair facing the wall as a punishment for throwing food. Three months later a joint home visit by health and social services was urged after it was discovered that Labonte lied about having a health visitor. A visit was arranged for 4 January but the appointment was not kept. Three days later Ainlee died.