Staff exonerated in child killing review

A serious case review after a five-year-old girl died at her
mother’s hands has concluded that social care professionals could
not have known she would be “subject to a homicidal attack”.

Chloe Fahey died last year after being stabbed more than 50 times
by her mother, Aisling Murray, who was jailed for life for murder
at Manchester Crown Court last week.

Murray had a history of mental illness, which included psychotic
episodes, and had spent a year in hospital. Chloe had been the
subject of three child protection investigations in her first three
years.

The report, commissioned by the Trafford Area Child Protection
Committee, says it does not want to suggest that the course of
history might have been changed by a more proactive approach, but
does note that agencies need “to improve awareness and
understanding of child protection”.

But mental health charity Sane described Murray’s case as “another
failure of mental health services to protect lives and heed
warnings”.

Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority has announced an
independent review of the mental health aspects of the case.

Meanwhile, a separate serious case review in the West Midlands has
led to Sandwell Council changing its child protection
procedures.

The investigation was carried out after Steven Wilson killed his
seven- and eight-year-old sons two years ago as a result of his
marriage break-up. He had a history of domestic violence and the
family was known to social services and other agencies.

The nine recommendations of the case review report have been
implemented by Sandwell ACPC, and a domestic violence partnership
has been set up to develop a strategy for tackling the issue.

The council said it had no plans to publish the report’s findings,
but it is understood to highlight failures in information
sharing.

Darren Cooper, Sandwell’s executive member for social inclusion and
health, said there was “no way social services could have foreseen
the intentions of this man.

“This family was involved with a number of agencies and it is to be
hoped lessons have been learned following communication between
agencies as part of this case review.”

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