Victoria Climbie

The Victoria Climbie inquiry

The Victoria Climbie case was the most horrific child abuse case seen in this country and did little to improve the negative portrayal of social workers in the media.

Victoria Climbie died in February 2000 with 128 separate injuries on her body after months of child abuse at the hands of her great aunt Marie Therese Kouao and her boyfriend Carl Manning.

Kouao attained false documents to get Victoria Climbie into Britain from the Ivory Coast where she was born. Shortly after Kouao met Manning and she and Victoria Climbie moved in with him.

The eight-year-old came into contact with health, police and social services on several occasions and twice was taken to hospital with injuries including scalding to her head and face. She was admitted to casualty at North Middlesex hospital in 24 February 2000 and was declared dead the next day.

In January 2001, Kouao and Manning were convicted of murder and child cruelty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The Health Secretary and Home Secretary appointed Lord Laming to conduct an inquiry into the circumstances leading to and surrounding the death of Victoria Climbié. Phase One of the Inquiry looked specifically at the circumstances leading to Victoria’s death and heard from 158 witnesses. Phase Two assessed the child protection system in general and consisted of five seminars with oral submissions from 121 expert contributors.

Lord Laming published his final report in January 2003.

Victoria Climbie report

Articles about Victoria Climbie

The Victoria Climbie Charitable Trust