“Baby girl died after brain injury - BBC UK News” plus 3 more

Baby girl died after brain injury - BBC UK News
Inconsistent evidence in baby death - The Independent
Rees says baby should not go to rehab - Skynews.com
Lawyer tells High Court that dismissal over Baby Peter case was a ... - Communitycare.co.uk

Baby girl died after brain injury - BBC UK News

Posted: 09 Oct 2009 06:47 AM PDT

A baby girl who died of a brain injury probably suffered a trauma in the care of her mother's partner, a coroner has said.

Thirteen-month-old Taylor Bromby from Merthyr Tydfil died on 3 April 2008.

A man was arrested on suspicion of murder but there was not enough evidence to charge him.

Returning a narrative verdict, Cardiff coroner Mary Hassell said she could not rule the death as unlawful killing as she was not satisfied "beyond doubt".

But she said that "on the balance of probabilities" the cause of Taylor's death was a trauma sustained in Mr Williams' care at their Merthyr home while her mother Helen James was on a night out.

She told Taylor's family who were present at the inquest: "I know it's a very difficult thing for you to hear I'm satisfied to one standard of proof but not another."

The inquest had heard evidence from Taylor's mother's then partner Richard Williams that he and Ms James had argued the evening before Taylor died and he had asked to look after her because he thought he would never see her again.

Later that evening the baby began vomiting, became rigid and her eyes were rolling back in her head.

'Confused'

The coroner said she found Mr Williams' evidence inconsistent and that she did not understand why he ran with Taylor to her grandparents house nearby instead of calling an ambulance.

She added that it was surprising he had then left the baby with her grandparents and returned home to Troedyrhiw considering how unwell she was.

But she said: "Having said that, just because a person acts in a surprising way doesn't mean they are trying to cover something up, and memories - particularly of a traumatic incident - may be confused."

The cause of death was swelling of the brain caused by a lack of oxygen. A post mortem examination also found bleeding around the brain and at the back of the eyes.

No natural cause of these injuries could be found.

'Trauma'

Ms Hassell said that while there was a "strong association" of these injuries with shaking or inflicted injury, it did not automatically mean that is what happened.

Ms Hassell said: "I return a verdict that Taylor died as a consequence of trauma she sustained on the evening on 2 April, 2008 after 8pm. I return the verdict on the balance of probabilities."

A police spokeswoman said: "In April 2008 South Wales Police investigated the sudden death of a 13-month-old girl.

"A man, now aged 25, was arrested on suspicion of murder, but was later released without charge following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service."

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Inconsistent evidence in baby death - The Independent

Posted: 09 Oct 2009 05:42 AM PDT

A baby who died of a brain injury probably suffered a trauma in the care of her mother's partner, a coroner ruled today.

Richard Williams had been arrested on suspicion of murdering 13-month-old Taylor Bromby, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was not enough evidence to charge him.

Cardiff coroner Mary Hassell said that "on the balance of probabilities" the cause of Taylor's death was a trauma sustained in Mr Williams' care at their home in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales, while her mother Helen James was on a night out.

Ms Hassell said she could not return a verdict of unlawful killing as she was not satisfied of the cause "beyond all reasonable doubt".

She told Taylor's family who were present at the inquest: "I know it's a very difficult thing for you to hear I'm satisfied to one standard of proof but not another."

The inquest had heard evidence from Mr Williams that he and Ms James had argued the evening before Taylor died and he had asked to look after her because he thought he would never see her again.

Later that evening the baby began vomiting, became rigid and her eyes were rolling back in her head.

The coroner said she found Mr Williams' evidence inconsistent and that she did not understand why he ran with Taylor to her grandparents house nearby instead of calling an ambulance.

She added that it was surprising he had then left the baby with her grandparents and returned home to Diana Street, Troedyrhiw, considering how unwell she was.

Taylor was taken to hospital but died the following day on 3 April 2008.

The cause of death was swelling of the brain caused by a lack of oxygen. A post mortem examination also found bleeding around the brain and at the back of the eyes.

No natural cause of these injuries could be found.

Ms Hassell said that while there was a "strong association" of this triad of injuries with shaking or inflicted injury, it did not automatically mean that is what happened.

Dr Neil Stoodley had said the particular pattern of bleeding on the brain only resulted from trauma.

"He was of the view this pattern of bleeding was caused by shaking," Ms Hassell said.

Dr Richard Bonshek said the bleeding behind the eyes could only have been caused by trauma, but what had caused that trauma was unclear.

Dr Ryk James, who carried out the post mortem, agreed that the triad had never been reported without a traumatic cause but urged caution.

He said just because the injuries had not been seen in other cases did not mean they did not exist, and added that there were no accompanying injuries such as bruises or fractures to show violence was used.

Dr Daniel Du-Plesis said the triad of injuries, together with nerve fibre injuries along Taylor's spinal cord, demonstrated a traumatic cause.

Ms Hassell said: "I return a verdict that Taylor died as a consequence of trauma she sustained on the evening on April 2 2008 after 8pm. I return the verdict on the balance of probabilities."

A police spokeswoman said: "In April 2008 South Wales Police investigated the sudden death of a 13-month-old girl.

"A man, now aged 25, was arrested on suspicion of murder, but was later released without charge following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service."

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Rees says baby should not go to rehab - Skynews.com

Posted: 09 Oct 2009 03:55 AM PDT

Updated: 22:07, Friday October 9, 2009

NSW Premier Nathan Rees says he'll need some convincing that it's in the best interests of a seven-week-old baby to attend a rehab clinic with his mother.

The child, known only as Jake, is the fifth child to be removed from his mother's care and placed into foster care.

However, The Daily Telegraph reports the Department of Community Services (DoCS) has now booked him into Sydney's Odyssey House, where his mother will seek treatment.

DoCS said that decision was now under review.

Mr Rees said he'd have to hear a strong argument in favour of the child accompanying the woman to Odyssey House.

'On the basis of material provided to me, I would take some convincing that it was in the interests of the youngster to be returned to mum,' he told reporters on Friday.

The story of Jake comes in the same week the NSW Ombudsman handed down a report critical of DoCS actions in protecting a seven-year-old girl who starved to death.

Ombudsman Bruce Barbour said the girl, known as Ebony, would still be alive if DoCS and other government agencies had acted as they were supposed to.

Mr Rees said DoCS, whose role is being reformed as part of a range of changes to the state's child protection system, had his support.

'DoCS workers do an extremely difficult job. The sorts of cases that would horrify anyone in this room they have to deal with on a day-to-day basis,' he said.

'It's a difficult job. They have my full support.'

Opposition community services spokeswoman Pru Goward said the child had thrived in foster cater and should remain there.

'Given the baby boy was removed from the care of his mother at just three days old and given the woman's four other children have been permanently removed from her care ... DoCS should stop playing with this child's future by removing him from foster care,' she said.

Ms Goward said while a child's relationship with its mother was important, its safety was paramount.

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Lawyer tells High Court that dismissal over Baby Peter case was a ... - Communitycare.co.uk

Posted: 09 Oct 2009 09:17 AM PDT

Sharon Shoesmith, the former director of Haringey's children's services sacked over the Baby Peter case, has claimed the council hearing into her dismissal was a "farce".

Shoesmith's lawyer, James Maurici, told the High Court in London today that Haringey relied solely on directions from children's secretary Ed Balls, and a hastily prepared Ofsted joint area review report to remove Shoesmith last December without compensation.

Although Shoesmith submitted 70 pages of arguments pointing out flaws in the Ofsted report process, the council said it could not be questioned, nor could the hearing examine the Ofsted inspection, Maurici claimed.

"The whole hearing was a charade. The council didn't collect any evidence or make any enquiries themselves," Maurici said on the second day of the High Court judicial review into Shoesmith's dismissal.

Maurici is arguing that Haringey's decision was unlawful because Balls' directions to it were a "flagrant breach of natural justice" and the Ofsted report was not properly prepared.

At no stage was Shoesmith granted the chance to put her case, he argued, and Shoesmith claimed she was singled out from a report that was critical of a number of different agencies and people.

Maurici said Ofsted did not interview any case lead social workers on the ground as part of the report but relied on paperwork.

Shoesmith claims Balls was unduly influenced by the "media witch-hunt" following the Baby Peter court case, particularly The Sun's petition and campaign for her to be sacked.

In documents submitted to the court, Balls claimed there was a misunderstanding between Ofsted and his department in not allowing Shoesmith to give feedback as part of the Ofsted report. He also claimed there was nothing she could have said that would have changed his decision to remove her from her position. She was sacked by Haringey a week later.

Ofsted is due to begin its defence this afternoon. It is expected to reveal its report of the state of Haringey's children's services, particularly in the wake of Baby Peter's death.

Yesterday it emerged that Shoesmith initially received supportive emails from senior children's professionals after the notorious press conference on Baby Peter's death.

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