Have a question?
033 3772 0409

Legal News

Bradford Safeguarding Children Board accepts failings in Hamzah Khan case (29 November 2013)

Date: 29/11/2013
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Bradford Safeguarding Children Board accepts failings in Hamzah Khan case

The responses to 10 questions put to Bradford Safeguarding Children Board (BSCB) by Children’s Minister Edward Timpson following the death of Hamzah Khan were published on Wednesday (27/11/13) – revealing the board accepts that more vigorous investigations could have taken place when claims were made that Hamzah was living in Portsmouth with two of his siblings.

By the time the claims were made by Hamzah’s mother, Amanda Hutton, the little boy was already lying dead in his cot at home.

A Serious Case Review into Hamzah’s death found that it was not a “predictable” event.

However, Mr Timpson said that the review – published on 13 November –
had not adequately explained the actions children’s care in Bradford had taken – or failed to take – in dealing with the case.

Hamzah Khan was four years old when his emaciated and mummified body was found under blankets in his cot at the home of his mother Amanda Hutton and her five other children in Bradford.

It is estimated he had died in December 2009 and had lain dead for two years before his body was found in 2011. Ms Hutton, 43, is reported to have alcohol issues and in October this year was jailed for 15 years for starving her son to death.

It was feared that the responses to Mr Timpson’s questions about the findings of the review might identify Hamzah’s siblings and the review was published online with their names blanked out.

Mr Timpson’s questions delved into actions taken by health and social workers to verify where Hamzah and two of his siblings were actually living and actions taken when the family came to the attention of social services and other agencies.

As the children were not registered at school, they did not have unique pupil numbers, which made tracing them difficult, said the board. There was no record of them living in Portsmouth, but in October 2010, an attempt to locate them had been made by a social worker using the Children Missing from Education Protocol. By November that year, no record of them in Portsmouth had been found.

The board said that Hamzah’s mother had deceived officers investigating the whereabouts of Hamzah and two of his siblings and Education Welfare Service officers had been given incorrect information.

The board responded to Mr Timpson’s question about investigations mounted into the whereabouts of Hamzah by saying:

“The Serious Case Review has found that the Education Welfare Service could have followed up the assertion that Hamzah and his siblings were living in Portsmouth more vigorously and this is accepted.

“This has been taken into account by the service in Bradford, with guidelines updated and practice improved in the light of lessons learned from this case for staff.”

The board’s response to Children’s Minister Edward Timpson’s 10 questions relating to the Serious Case Review into Hamzah Khan’s care is published online at Bradford Safeguarding Children Board.

Duncan Lewis Family and Childcare Solicitors

Duncan Lewis family solicitors advise on a wide range of family law matters, including:

• Ancillary relief payments
• Child contact and residence
• Children taken into Local Authority care
• Child abuse
• Divorce
• Domestic violence
• International child abduction
• Parental child abduction.

Duncan Lewis children’s solicitors are part of the family law department. Our child abductions solicitors conduct high-profile cases and are sensitive to the needs of families seeking legal advice about childcare law.

For expert legal advice on all aspects of family and childcare law, contact Duncan Lewis family solicitors on 020 7923 4020.

To contact Duncan Lewis children’s solicitors about urgent family or childcare law matters call the Duncan Lewis Emergency Hotline on 0203 7275 2036.

Call us now on 033 3772 0409 or click here to send online enquiry.
Duncan Lewis is the trading name of Duncan Lewis (Solicitors) Limited. Registered Office is Spencer House, 29 Grove Hill Road, Harrow, HA1 3BN. Company Reg. No. 3718422. VAT Reg. No. 718729013. A list of the company's Directors is displayed at the registered offices address. Authorised and Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority . Offices all across London and in major cities in the UK. ©Duncan Lewis >>Legal Disclaimer, Copyright & Privacy Policy. Duncan Lewis do not accept service by email.