Couple jailed for "appalling" daughter cruelty

Couple jailed for "appalling" daughter cruelty

Thursday, 08 Feb 2007 19:48

[The court ruled that Harte and Duncan should never again be trusted to look after young children]

The court ruled that Harte and Duncan should never again be trusted to look after young children

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A London couple have been jailed for a total of 22 years for "appalling" child cruelty against their four-year-old disabled daughter.

Kimberly Harte, 23, and her partner, Samuel Duncan, 27, were convicted of torturing their daughter, who suffered from cerebral palsy, between February and March last year.

Middlesex Guildhall court heard how the couple made their daughter eat her own faeces and locked her naked in the toilet.

It also emerged how Duncan and Harte, from Maida Vale, west London, scalded and beat the girl after she was returned to their care by Westminster social services.

Detective Sergeant Anthony Smith from Scotland Yard's central child abuse team said the case was the worst he had ever had to deal with.

Both Harte and Duncan admitted three counts of child cruelty. Duncan was found guilty of two counts of grievous bodily harm against the girl, who has now been taken into care, and Harte convicted of three counts.

Westminster council has come in for criticism for allowing the child, who cannot be named, to return to her parents.

An independent review of the case, led by Ron Lock, found that those involved in the matter too easily believed the parents' account of events, particularly after it was accepted that a broken arm was the result of an accident.

"In many ways the parents had managed to convince the many professionals they came into contact with that their children were safe in their hands," Mr Lock said.

"The parents should have been more strongly challenged about their commitment to their children."

He added: "An inappropriate rule of optimism existed in that professionals were too adult focused and believed the parents had worked hard to resolve their problems and could be relied upon to be capable parents."

Westminster council says it welcomes the sentence passed after the "appalling injuries" inflicted on the girl, but has moved to point out the differences between this case and that of Victoria Climbie, eight, who was killed by her great-aunt, Marie-Therese Kouao, and Carl John Manning in London in February 2000.

"Contrary to reports in the media this is not another Victoria Climbie case," a statement from the Westminster local safeguarding children board read.

"Westminster council and partner agencies have been working with the family for a long time. After the child was returned home there were at least 20 visits from health and social care professionals."

Julie Jones, the chair of the board, added that the staff who saw the young girl and her family "could not have foreseen the injuries she sustained".

"Moving forward, we are delighted to say that the child is now thriving with her excellent foster carers," she said

The court also ruled that Harte and Duncan should never again be entrusted with the care of a young child.End of story