When will Victoria Climbie be laid to rest? Never, according to the national press. The news that Haringey council, which was criticised heavily over the Climbie case, has announced a serious case review into the suspicious death of a 17-month baby, has provoked criticial headlines once more.
The Times and the Daily Mail headlines call Haringey the "Climbie council."
The news site 24dash.com, goes even further with:"Ghost of Victoria Climbie haunts new death probe."
According to the Daily Mail the baby is "understood to have been on the "at-risk" register of Haringey Council's social services". It's that lovely line jounalists like to use when they want to appear "in the know" - as a powerful insider....
The Guardian and The Times use the line that it is "believed" the boy was on the at-risk register of Haringey social services...but in all three papers this is not backed up with any fact or named source.
Are the papers going for the easy win of overstating the link with this case to Victoria Climbie, whose name will always remain synonymous in the press with the "evils" of social services?
The Daily Mail story achieved its desired effect - 22 people have posted responses.
Community Care learned today John Hemming MP has also already bitten the bullet and written to junior children's minister Kevin Brennan asking for responsibilility for investigating child abuse to be taken away from children's services, citing, among other cases "the recent sad death of a 17-month child in 'Climbie' council Haringey".
Many publications, including Community Care, have not mentioned Climbie when reporting the Haringey serious case review. Why? The review has just been announced so there are no conclusions as yet to suggest there are parallels with the Victoria Climbie case, and there is no authoritative confirmation that the boy was on the "at-risk" register.
Is Haringey council going to take the papers - and Hemming - to task, and ask to be presumed innocent until proven guilty?