Poppi Worthington Question House of Commons

Urgent question. Mr John Woodcock. Will the Minister make a st`tement

on the failures set out by Justice Jackson yesterday after the death of

Poppy Worthington in my constituency in December 20 12. Karen Gr`nt. The

death of Poppy Worthington hs deeply distressing and disturbing `nd I am

sure like all members of thd house I have found reading the press reports

incredibly difficult and incredibly moving. However, that House will

understand I cannot comment on this case in detail. The judge in this

case made a ruling yesterdax in the family court, but any furthdr debate

could be prejudicial to a sdcond inquest into her death which is due

to take place later this ye`r. There are allegations of police f`ilings

in the original investigation into her death in 2012 which havd been

investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The IP

CC report is completed but cannot be released yet so as to not rhgid as

the second inquest. Child sdxual abuse is a horrendous crime and

there is nothing more important than keeping children safe -- IPCC. That

is why we have given child sexual abuse the status of a national

threat in the strategic polhcing requirement, which sets a clear

expectation on police forces to collaborate across boundarids,

safeguard children, share intelligence and best practhce. As

we have made clear, we will not hesitate to take tough action where

councils or police are failhng in their statutory duty to protect

children. Since 2014, the inspectorate constabulary h`ve

inspected forces in England and Wales on their response to these

issues including child sexu`l abuse. Those which fall short of bding

re-inspected to make sure they are dealt with quickly -- they have

dealt quickly with any failtres We are working with police forces and

the National Crime Agency to ensure more resources and improved

technology are available to investigate abuse properly. It is

critical that the police have the appropriate expertise and tools to

identify, pursue, investigate and prosecute offenders. We havd

introduced new sexual risk orders and prevention orders which the

police can now use to managd an individual presenting a risk of

sexual harm to a child. We have introduced powers for the police to

close an establishment which may be used for sexual activity with a

child. It is vitally import`nt the police identify these cases and

respond appropriately and this cannot be overestimated. In March

last year as part of tackling child exploitation and the report launched

in conjunction with that, investigations set a requirdment on

all forces to train all new and existing police staff the rdspond to

child sexual abuse and exploitation, including core handles, detdctives

and specialist investigators. The College of policing has devdloped

and will keep under review ` comprehensive training programme to

raise the standard of policd response to child sexual abtse. This

Government is committed to tackling child sexual abuse but I know that

as little consolation to thd family of Poppy Worthington and I commend

this statement to the house. On the 11th of December 2012, Poppx

Worthington was taken to bed by her mother is a perfectly healthy child.

As Judge Jackson set out yesterday, she was brought down stairs eight

hours later by her father P`ul Worthington in a lifeless state with

troubling injuries, most obviously significant bleeding from hdr

heinous. The Justice Jackson was clear in his judgment yesterday that

Paul Worthington raped that child and she died soon afterwards. Yet it

was a full eight months latdr the parents were first questiondd by the

police despite the pathologhst racing at the time that her death

was caused by a serious pendtrative assault. By this time, cruchal

evidence had been lost by the police, such as the nappy she had

been wearing at the time and her bedding. In October 2014, the then

coroner took just six minutds to record her death as unexplahned The

Crown Prosecution Service h`s said there is currently no prospdct of a

case being made against the father. Cumbria social services chose,

despite clear pointers available, to a low her siblings to return to the

family. -- allow her siblings. Though the failures happened after

the child's death and not bdfore, the combined failure of sevdral

agencies is every bit as serious as though it contributed to thd death

of Victoria and baby Peter hn Harrogate. Will the Governmdnt make

clear the value Poppy's lifd is greatly by ordering now is similarly

for independent investigation for how the failings happened -,

similarly for investigating the leak might investigation into how the

failings happened. And order a separate force to come in and take

over the investigation into Poppy Worthington's death to try to

salvage some prospect of justice for her life. Will they renew their

focus on improving social sdrvices in Cumbria, which have been troubled

for many months as we know. What will the Government do to ensure the

safety of the Worthington children and all of the community, all of the

children there, given that Paul Worthington is still walking free?

Mr Speaker, the honourable gentleman sets out the case very clearly and

passionately and he is standing up and working for his constittents in

the way he always does. He will know that there was an investigation by

Ofsted in 2015 in the Cumbrha social services and it was found to be

inadequate. The Department for Education is currently in the

process of an intervention hnto Cumbria social services to dnsure a

child social services are properly working in Cumbria and that all

children in Cumbria have thd support and protection they saw rightly

need. We do need to learn ldssons from this case. We need to wait for

that second inquest. The Attorney General has granted that second

inquest. Until that is completed, we will not have the full facts. You

will also know in order for the case to be reopened, new evidencd will

need to come to light, which may or may not be the case depending on the

inquiry and also the second inquest but this is an operational latter

which I, as the minister, would not be able to intervene in. Mr Speaker,

this sounds like an increashngly depressingly familiar catalogue of

failures. At the time of thhs tragic death report would have been

routinely given to the children s minister and the pathologist of the

Home Office, presumably also reported her suspicions to the Home

Office. Can I ask what action was jointly taken by ministers hn her

department, particularly given the ongoing nature with the siblings

involved? What has happened to the serious case review which shnce 2010

has been routinely published in order to reveal where failures have

been made and to learn the lessons, so crucial in this case?

The thank you for the questhon, did an incredible amount of work is

children's minister to deal with failings in the system we h`ve seen

here. He has raised important points which I too have raised with

officials today. If he will forgive me, can I write to him with specific

points. I failed to do this, can I offer to meet the honourabld

gentleman whose constituencx this affects. I think there are lany

things it would be important for us to discuss face-to-face. Mr Speaker,

it is clear there are multiple failings in this tragic casd. I

appreciate what the minister has said in the sense that she does not

want to jeopardise any further investigation. But, it is tdrribly

troubling, Mr Speaker, that Judge Jackson remarked that the police

investigation was clearly ddficient and that the police failed to launch

an investigation until nine months after Poppi Worthington's ddath He

says this case is more than usually troubling. Will she support my

honourable friend 's call for a separate police investigation, a

separate police force to investigate this case? And, would she stpport

the publication of the IPCC draft report into this case? The

honourable gentleman asked puestions about the failings in the police,

that is what the IPCC report will contain, we will know more when we

see it, it cannot be published even in draft form before the second

inquest. I'm sure he understands it. It is important the second hnquest

is able to take place in a fair and open manner so that we do gdt to the

facts of this case and understand what has happened. He will no more

than anybody that Judge Jackson was looking at the balance of

probabilities, where a crimhnal case would be beyond reasonable doubt.

They are different levels of proof, they are different levels of

evidence required. He understands it. I want to get to the bottom of

this, and have a full inquest and understand exactly what happened and

at which point we can deterline the appropriate action to be taken to.

May I commend the honourabld member for his measured and reason`ble

putting of this important qtestion. The whole nation would have been

touched by the terrible tragedy that befell this baby girl. Isn't it

troubling, Mr Speaker, that we need a review into the interface between

family courts and public agdncies that the latter used public money to

try to stifle debate and hide transparency and openness in respect

to this, using the family courts. Isn't it time we reviewed that?

Because openness and transp`rency is the best disinfectant to solve these

kinds of issues in future, `nd make sure something as terrible `nd awful

as this never happens again. My honourable friend makes an

interesting point. If he will allow me, can I discuss this point with

the Lord Chancellor, this would be a matter for the Ministry of Justice

and returned to him with further thoughts when I've had that

discussion? Mr Speaker, can I welcome the Minister 's comlitment

to pursue these matters till all lessons can be learned. Does she

agree with me that the cruchal relationship is that between police

and social services? The crtcial process is that information should

be passed on immediately. If that is done, then these terrible acts can

be discovered even more effhciently. The right honourable gentlelan makes

an incredibly important point. If agencies aren't working togdther and

talking to each other we will not find and protect these children who

desperately need our protection I've been very impressed and pleased

to see the work going on in multi-agency safeguarding htbs, I've

visited many and it is trulx refreshing to see police, probation

services and other agencies who have a role in protecting the most

vulnerable people in societx, especially children sitting

together, co-locating, sharhng information and taking action

immediately. That is what wd need to see more of and Chief Const`ble ball

Simon Bailey, we will get the right acronym, is keen to see mord old

multi-agency is working togdther -- Chief Constable Simon Bailex. I

support what the honourable gentleman for Barrow has sahd. As

the father of three daughters my blood runs cold in this casd. He

pointed out the growing need for integration between these sdrvices

and at Whitehall. Could she undertake to ensure, perhaps,

because there are so many departmental responsibilitids in

this government and in her department, the Law offices, the

chancellors Department, and crucially, DC LG, with regards in

funding councils, that therd is full integration at the Whitehall level

as well? My honourable friend has managed to astrology only forget one

department, the Department for Education. The Secretary of State

for Education chairs the task force where I am a sitting member as are

other ministers. This is a cross department team looking at how to

implement what we have learned from other examples of child abuse and

what we learned from this c`se will help to give us more inform`tion and

develop better ways to protdct children. This is clearly a very

disturbing case. I understand the Minister 's reticence in not wanting

to do anything that could c`use prejudice in this case, and she s

only had limited time in whhch to pursue it herself. Can I urge you to

keep pursuing this case herself and not be deterred by the procdss

taking place? And particularly to clarify, what is the situathon about

the police investigation now? Surely we don't have to wait for the

inquest for a police investhgation to be continuing? The IPCC, as I

understand, are verifying whether the police piteously did thd right

job, we need a police investigation now into this individual case and

could that be done I and -- an alternative police force. I can

assure you that I will take this case and make sure we get to the

bottom of it and learn lessons and understand what went wrong. We owe

it to Poppi Worthington and other children in that situation. On the

specific matter of the police investigation, she will be `ware

that there has to be new evhdence for a new investigation to be held,

may I write to her and give her more information about that as I get more

information. As a counsellor, I d experienced the horrors of the

Jasmine Beckford and the baby P case. I understand that the Minister

cannot give her firm commitlent today, but it is equally cldar that

people in charge of these investigations are not learning

lessons of the past. Can my honourable friend commit, today

that if the evidence points this way she will order a proper judhcial

enquiry so that further revhews can be undertaken and people can

understand the lessons that have happened and implement them as

proposed by the sea LG select committee from last year? Thank you

my honourable friend, we nedd to know exactly what happened `nd

understand what the IPCC report and the second inquest finds -- CLG We

have the Victor's right to review now, clearly once we have completed

the legal processes, it may be something the family wishes to use.

-- victims. We should wait tntil we have all facts on the table until we

make any commitments. As a fellow Cumbrian MP, I am deeply shocked and

concerned about this case and I support my honourable friend for

Barrow and fairness for his cause into an investigation. I appreciate

what the Minister says about a second inquest. What concerns me

about the IPCC report is th`t it appears to have been leaked to the

press. Poppi Worthington's death was in December 2012, it's taken a long

time to get where we are and it has only gone through family cotrts No

one has been charged at all and I am concerned about that. I would

welcome the Minister's commdnts On the point of the IPCC report, I m

not aware it has been leaked, but I will look into the matter. @nd when

I meet the honourable gentldman for Barrow we can have a discussion when

we have more information about what has happened. If it has been leaked

it is shocking and should not have happened. I commend the honourable

gentleman for Barrow for brhnging this to the house, you cannot fail

to be moved by the innocent picture of Poppi Worthington. Althotgh there

has been conflicting opinion, given the amount of press coveragd, surely

this must be reopened? We should understand the pride of the British

justice system, but in this case, Justice has not been done, not for

Poppi Worthington or any other child in danger. Can the Minister assure

that the IPCC should find the Cumbrian police did not act in a way

they should have, would this be a reason for reopening the case? I can

assure the honourable gentldman that when we know what happened, when we

know where the failings werd and what could have been done

differently, if anything cotld have been done differently, I and my

fellow ministers will make sure that proper steps are taken and we do all

we can to get to the bottom of this and get justice, as is rightly

deserved for Poppi Worthington. Order. Urgent question, Mr @ndy

McDonald. Thank you Mr Speaker. Will the Secretary of State for the Home

Department make a statement on the revelation today of discrimhnatory

treatment of asylum seekers in Middlesbrough? Mr Speaker, H'm

grateful to the honourable gentleman for asking this question. And for

allowing me the opportunity to set out the government's response to the

issues raised in today's Tiles newspaper. From the