Baptiste fined for inquiry breaches

The social work manager responsible for supervising Victoria
Climbie’s social worker has been convicted of failing to
attend the inquiry into the child’s death.

Carole Baptiste was convicted at Camberwell Magistrates’
Court and fined £500.

Baptiste, who was responsible for supervising Victoria’s social
worker Lisa Arthurworrey, had been accused of conducting a
six-month campaign of obstruction and non-cooperation with the
inquiry. It culminated in her failure to give evidence in December
2001.

District judge Hayden Gott said that Baptiste had recovered from
mental health problems, and had deliberately failed to attend the
inquiry on 3 December 2001.

He added that evidence suggesting she could have relapsed was
“extremely flimsy”.

Baptiste responded to the verdict outside the court by saying
she had been persecuted. 

“At the end of the day this has served no purpose. It has just
wasted a lot of people’s time and a lot of money,” she said.

She is the first person to be prosecuted for failing to attend a
public inquiry.