Emma Tustin, 32, was jailed for life in December for the murder of Arthur—whose father, Thomas Hughes, was her boyfriend—in Solihull, near Birmingham. Two weeks later Savannah Brockhill was convicted of murdering her girlfriend’s daughter, Star Hobson, in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
Hudson said: “Arthur and Star suffered horrific and ultimately fatal abuse. But sadly, whilst their individual stories are unique, many hundreds of children are seriously harmed each year.”
It said some social workers may have under-estimated the risk to Arthur and Star presented by Tustin and Brockwell “given societal beliefs about women as caregivers.”
The report said there was also a mistaken early view taken that Thomas Hughes was a “protective father” and this was not challenged despite evidence to the contrary.
It also criticised social workers who “too easily accepted” claims made by Savannah Brockhill and her girlfriend Frankie Smith that concerns raised by a relative were rooted in homophobia.
The report said that in general concerns raised by relatives were “too often” disregarded and not properly investigated by police and social workers and there were also problems with information sharing and poor decision-making.
The review also recommended the government establish a national child protection board to coordinate policy better.
Zahawi said: “We must waste no time learning from the findings of this review—enough is enough. I will set up a new child protection ministerial group, a first and immediate step in responding to these findings, before setting out a bold implementation plan later this year to bring about a fundamental shift in how we support better outcomes for our most vulnerable children and families.”
He added: “Nothing is more tragic than the death of a child, but when that child dies as a result of abuse or neglect it is incomprehensible. The deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson appalled the nation and highlighted the urgent need for action and change.”
Zahawi also praised social workers for their dedication but said, “We must be honest about where we can strengthen the system so that it helps, never hinders, good decision-making for everyone involved in child protection, the police, health services and children’s services.”
During the review the panel interviewed almost 80 social workers, police officers, and other professionals in Bradford, Birmingham, and Solihull, and looked at 1,500 reviews of similar incidents.
It said child protection work was often complex but the system did not allow professionals to cut through the bureaucratic fog “to get to the truth of what life is like for children.”
Earlier this week Nathaniel Pope was jailed for life for murdering his girlfriend’s son, Kemarni Watson Darby, and the boy’s mother, Alicia Watson, was convicted of causing or allowing Kemarni’s death.
