Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, Star Hobson, Finley Boden, and Jacob Crouch all lost their lives in 2020 after experiencing prolonged abuse from the adults who were supposed to care for them. Arthur, a six-year-old who had a passion for football and superheroes, was brutally murdered by his stepmother in June 2020 after enduring weeks of abuse and torture. This included being forced to consume salt-laced drinks and being isolated for up to 14 hours at a time.
Star, just 16 months old, was killed by her mother’s girlfriend, an amateur boxer, in September 2020. Finley Boden, only 10 months old, was found dead by his parents on Christmas Day in 2020. He had sustained 130 separate injuries, 39 days after being returned to his parents’ care.
Another tragic case was that of Jacob, a 10-month-old who was killed by his stepfather on December 30, 2020. Jacob had suffered numerous injuries, including at least 39 rib fractures.
There is mounting evidence to suggest that the Covid-19 lockdown, which began in March 2020, severely hindered the ability of services to protect vulnerable children from harm. Abigail Gill, from the NSPCC, stated that the impact of the lockdown on children’s social care is becoming increasingly apparent. She emphasized that these cases reveal how our worst fears were realized for some children, as harm was taking place behind closed doors.
Government data shows that in 2020-21, there were 223 child deaths involving abuse or neglect, an increase from 188 the previous year. The figures also include deaths of children under state care. The NSPCC helpline received a record high of almost 85,000 contacts from adults concerned about the well-being of children in 2020-21, a 23% increase from the previous year.
During 2020-21, there were 536 serious incident notifications related to children, an increase of 87 from the previous year. The largest rise occurred during the first half of the year when lockdown measures were the strictest.
Abigail Gill commented that in several cases, adults used lockdown measures as a cover to inflict harm on children. As these cases go through the court system, the distressing details are coming to light.
Arthur’s parents kept him out of school even after lockdown restrictions were eased, and Finley’s parents frequently prevented social workers from entering their home, citing Covid restrictions.
Gill noted that the pandemic exacerbated an already strained children’s social care system. Over the past decade, there has been a shift from early intervention and family support to a focus on crisis intervention. This has resulted in an increasing number of severe cases of abuse and neglect.
Debbie Innes-Turnill, a child protection lecturer, stated that lockdown restrictions worsened existing flaws in the system. Additionally, reduced government funding for child protection organizations was exacerbated by Covid, with no consideration given to how their work could continue during lockdown.
An independent review of children’s social care in England published a report last year, highlighting the urgent need for a multibillion-pound overhaul. However, the NSPCC believes that the issue is not being addressed with the necessary urgency.
Gill emphasized that action is required now. Without substantial reform and national investment in children’s social care, there will continue to be cases of child abuse and neglect in the future.