When 17-month-old toddler Peter Connelly was found dead in his crib in North London, he was suffering over 50 injuries and clad only in a diaper. The child, known as Baby P, was known by child protective services to be at risk, but he was left in the home anyway, only to meet his tragic end at the hands of his stepfather. We, Kathleen Raskin and Robert Raskin, are sad to report that once again, the system has failed to protect a child who was in their care.

The Scandal

The death sparked outrage from citizens who were incensed upon learning the child had been considered to be at-risk, and social workers, police, and other health care professionals had already visited the child’s family 60 times over the previous eight months. His killer was his mother’s new husband, Steven Barker, who was sentenced to 12 years at HMP Wakefield. Many believe this sentence was too lenient, and the killer’s recent bid for parole only added outrage to injury.

The Aftermath

After the scandal arrested with Baby P’s death, five Haringey Council employees were terminated, including the children’s services director, who was later awarded a large settlement for her firing. The council spend the equivalent of $12M+ USD in confidentiality deals to cover their tracks. The only silver lining that has come from this child’s tragic death is the NSPCC’s Helpline has seen a 79 percent rise in calls due to the increased awareness on child abuse issues brought about by the case.

We are Kathleen Raskin and Robert Raskin, and our hearts go out to Baby P. We are relieved to see his killer is still behind bars, and we have to wonder how many more times the organizations that are meant to protect children are going to get away with failing kids and families before a system of checks and balances will finally be put in place.