Tony Klinger

I have taken the unusual step of posting this (slightly longer version of my) article on both my main sites, and anywhere else I can. It’s an important story about our society, and we need to learn the lessons this tragedy teaches us.
I am going to write about the death of a British baby, known, for legal reasons, only as Baby P. This poor, doomed child had the terrible misfortune to be born to two mad and bad parents, who were cruel, malicious, vicious and more like Nazi monsters than modern parents; they murdered their baby.

This awful fate for Baby P was compounded by the fact that he was unfortunate enough to be born in the district of Haringey, a part of London. Haringey Council allowed this murder to take place because they are inept, stupid, callous and indifferent to the humanity they are supposed to safeguard.

In the UK we have long been proud of our social services, which, it was thought, had long “looked after” those unable to care for themselves.

Sadly, dreadfully, we now know that this is no longer the case. It transpires that there were obvious grave suspicions about the well being of Baby P because the social services had made or participated in 60 (sixty) visits or interactions with this baby and its family.

Included amongst these were doctor examinations of the child and these missed the many terrible injuries he suffered. Amongst these were broken bones, including a broken back. What kind of doctor examines an at risk baby and misses a broken back? I shall answer that question, it’s a doctor who doesn’t give a damn.

How did all the health and social workers simply file their forms, check the boxes and visit that dreadful family but not do anything about it? All of them, without any explanation or excuse being acceptable, plainly did not give a damn.

It was revealed today that six months ago a letter was sent to then Minister of Health, Patricia Hewitt, by a social worker about his concerns regarding the lack of care being provided by Haringey Council. Nothing was done. Why, because she was a Minister who didn’t really give a damn.

It is alleged that the social worker that warned of this danger to Baby P was victimized for acting in a way that her seniors working for Haringey Council deemed inappropriate. How could this be possible? It’s because they cared more about their jobs than they did about the welfare of this baby.

The leader of this section of Haringey Council did not even apologize until he was forced to by pressure coming down on his shoulders from the entire media and politically from the Prime Minister, and every other leading public figure. This is some of that apology;

“I want as Leader of the Council to make this formal apology on behalf of Haringey Council at this first meeting of the Cabinet. I will do so again to the meeting of the full Council next week. These are the right places for Haringey to formally acknowledge our deep sorrow for these tragic events.

Let me begin by making clear that we are very sorry for the events which led up to the death of Baby P; sorry for the suffering he endured; sorry for the failure of all the child protection agencies involved to protect him, to save his life.

Haringey Council’s apology is heartfelt and unreserved.

It is made to all those who knew and cared for the well being of Baby P; it is made to all those residents of Haringey who feel let down by the actions of the child protection agencies in our area and concerned for the future of every other child at risk; and it is made to the wider public who will have listened with horror at the dreadful damage done during the tragically short life of Baby P.

We are truly sorry.”

Again, like the recent financial catastrophe, we have more evidence here of systematic failure. It is not enough to have forms to fill and procedures to follow. If common sense and your own eyes tell you that a disaster is unfolding you must stop covering your own ass and start looking after everyone’s ass. We have, as a society, abandoned responsibility for our own actions and, instead, hidden behind procedures.

There should be better protection for those in our society who cannot look after them, and punishment for those charged with this care that fail in its delivery.

Of course we must never lose sight of the fact that it was not the Council or any of its officer or social workers or associated doctors that murdered this child, but they and their inhuman and inefficient system allowed it to happen.

It is the parents of Baby P who are responsible and who will share the main punishment. I hope they are locked up forever and that the other residents of the prison find out who they are and deal with them appropriately.

It is past time for the individual to stand up and be counted. If you see something is wrong don’t keep quiet, make your concern known, tell people, put it in writing and make sure you follow it up. It could really make a difference. Our worst enemies are complacency, indifference and fear. Who knows, if you speak out, you might just save a life.