A toddler who was murdered when her mother stamped on her chest until her heart ripped, was failed by social workers who put the drug addicts needs first.
Ayeeshia-Jayne Smith was repeatedly let down by Derbyshire County Council social services in the UK, before the violent death at the hands of her Mother, Kathryn Smith in 2014.
Smith was in jail for a minimum of 19 years since last year and her boyfriend Matthew Rigby was also jailed for three years and six months for his ‘failure to act’ to stop her.
A case review examining her death has now been released and says social workers ‘missed danger signs’ about Ayeeshia’s safety – however, the report also claims the murder could not have been predicted.The emaciated toddler, who weighed just 20lbs when she died, was attacked with such force she suffered a fatal heart injury, three broken ribs and bit through her own tongue.
The emaciated toddler, weighed just 20lbs when she died. The girl was attacked with such force she suffered a fatal heart injury, three broken ribs and bit through her own tongue.
Derbyshire County Council knew of drug use, violence and child neglect at the home but mother and daughter were kept together until she died in May 2014, because her needs ‘overshadowed’ Ayeeshia’s.
‘AJ’, as her loved ones called her, had been taken into foster care where she put on weight, started using words and her hair grew back. But then she was then given back to her mother because care professionals believed that her parenting skills were ‘more than adequate’, the report said.
Ayeeshia was killed a day after a multi-agency risk assessment meeting called due to ‘a growing sense of unease’ about her safety, the report said.
It also emerged that 3 weeks prior to the murder, social workers filled out forms for her to be taken into care – but the papers were never sent.
The child’s biological father Ricky Booth twice reported injuries she had suffered to social workers but claimed they ‘weren’t interested’.
The case review, which identified those involved by initials, said all agencies concerned with the family had been ‘inclined to take what (Smith) said at face value’.
A summary of the report stated: ‘An attitude of professional curiosity requiring practitioners to examine the lived experience of (Ayeeshia-Jayne) was often missing by all agencies.
‘The needs of (Smith) overshadowed the needs of (Ayeeshia-Jayne) frequently.’
Smith’s social worker, Stephen Crean, took early retirement while facing the serious questions over his handling of the case, as it emerged during her murder trial.
Although the report’s authors said the killing could not have been predicted, they said care professionals ‘should have been more inquisitive’ about the impact of Smith’s new partner and her other relationships on the safety and health of Ayeeshia-Jayne.
On the day of the baby’s death, Smith was said to be ‘annoyed’ because her father had borrowed £40 from her and not paid her back.
A Neighbour, Tracey Roberts, said that she heard screaming and shouting coming from the couple’s flat and a child’s voice saying ‘stop mummy, stop daddy’ at around 3.10pm.
An ambulance was not called until after 4pm and by the time it arrived Ayeeshia was ‘incredibly pale’.
Smith initially told police her daughter was covered in bruises because she had “fallen off her potty”.