Carla Bone aged 13 mths
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Aberdeenshire Social Services Social workers repeatedly warned of the dangers. Family's anger at baby-death report Scotsman.com Sep18 2003 THE family of murdered infant Carla-Nicole Bone last night condemned as a "whitewash" a report clearing care workers of any blame for her death. The grandparents of the 13-month-old girl said they were "appalled" by the findings of an independent investigation into her death at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend. Although the report said that care workers should learn lessons from the case, it concluded they could not have predicted, nor prevented, Carla-Nicole’s murder. Carla-Nicole died after a frenzied attack by Alexander McClure, 27, a labourer, at a remote cottage which he shared with the child’s mother near Huntly, Aberdeenshire, in May last year. He picked up the child by the legs and repeatedly "swung her like a pendulum" against a wall, crushing her skull. McClure was jailed for life last September. Carla-Nicole’s mother, Andrea, 20, was jailed for three years for failing to protect her daughter from him. The child’s grandparents claim that, in the months before the murder, they repeatedly warned social workers of the danger posed by McClure. But yesterday’s report, by child-care experts Anne Black and Anne Burgham, rejected the accusations and laid the blame firmly on family and neighbours for not doing more to help social workers. They said: "The responsibility for protecting children rests with the whole community, and agencies need the collaboration of members of the public to allow them to fulfil their duties in protecting children." The report, commissioned by the North East of Scotland Child Protection Committee (NESCPC), concluded that care services "could not have foreseen" the murder. The authors said: "The report finds the work with Carla-Nicole and her family by professionals was extensive and that much was done to try to secure a better level of care for her. Even if all the proposals and recommendations in the report were to be fully adopted by everyone, no agency or group of agencies will be able to prevent all child deaths or abuse." Last night, both Carla-Nicole’s grandfather, Carl Bone, and paternal grandmother, Liz Berry, were furious with the report’s findings. Mrs. Berry claimed that shortly after Andrea Bone split with their son - Carla-Nicole’s father, David Shorrock - and set up home with McClure, they contacted social workers eight or nine times to tell them of their fears for their grand-daughter’s safety. The report said only two calls were received and one of these was anonymous. Mrs. Berry said: "This report is nothing more than a cover-up. Had the social services acted when we contacted them, I am convinced Carla-Nicole would still be alive today. "We wanted them to carry out a check on McClure because we suspected he was violent. We now know just how violent he is." During the six-month investigation, Ms Black and Ms Burgham criticised social workers for failing to have a system in place which allowed them to exchange vital information. Had this existed, the report states minor changes in Carla-Nicole’s health could have been noted and acted upon. But it is Bone’s friends and family who are singled out for the most severe criticism. Unveiling the 88-page report in Aberdeen, Ms Burgham said: "A lot came out in court which if mentioned to social services at the time could have seen a different outcome in the matter." Andrea Bone, found guilty of culpable homicide, is appealing against her conviction. She had originally been charged with murder by wilfully failing to protect her daughter. Colin Mackenzie, the director of social work for Aberdeenshire Council, added: "More information about general concerns were raised in court, but we have the benefit of hindsight." |
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