Toni-Ann Byfield aged 7
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| Birmingham Social Services Agencies slammed over murder Schoolgirl Toni-Ann Byfield was shot dead after social services allowed her to stay with her drug dealer father, a court heard yesterday. 29 April 2004 Source: Daily Mail Three key agencies involved in the care of murdered seven-year-old Toni-Ann Byfield have been criticised for failing to protect her in a report published today. Toni-Ann was shot in the back alongside convicted crack dealer Bertram Byfield, 41, at his north west London flat in September last year. The Birmingham Area Child Protection Committee (ACPC) review criticised Birmingham City Council's Social Care and Health Directorate, the National Immigration Service, and the Child and Family Courts Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) for failing in their professionalism and practice The summary report, made public at a news conference at The Rep Theatre in Birmingham this morning, said there were delays in producing assessments and reports and in establishing Toni-Ann's immigration status, which affected the quality of decision making. The review - carried out by David Lambert, a former assistant chief inspector at the Social Services Inspectorate - concluded that the failings highlighted "the need for professionals to maintain a thoroughly watchful and diligent stance in respect of their safeguarding obligations to the children and young people in their charge". DNA testing in post-mortem examinations revealed that Mr Byfield was not the biological father of Toni-Ann. The killings took place in what is thought to have been a drugs dispute which Byfield - who had served a nine-year jail sentence for drug dealing - was involved in. Detectives believe Toni-Ann was shot as she ran away to stop her identifying the killer, while Byfield was shot in the chest. No one has been charged in relation to the murders. |
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