We've Heard It All Before...

A campaigner for children in care has warned that 'lessons must be learned' after 'yet another child was lost to Britain's broken care system'. Chris Wild told MailOnline that the murder of ten-month-old Finley Boden must serve as an urgent wake-up call for ministers to support the 'underfunded' care sector.

Oh, so this child died because there was no money to save him? Really? How did he come to die, then?  

Tragic Finley was murdered by his drug addict parents on Christmas Day in 2020...

Ah. That old old story. 

...just 39 days after being returned to the care of his mother and father Shannon Marsden and Stephen Boden.

I fail to see how this is a case of lack of funding, and not simply yet another case where hopeless optimism had resulted in people who shouldn't be trusted with a goldfish given back a child. 

A damning review into the lead-up up to baby's murder said Finley 'should have been one of the most protected children in the local authority area' but found 'significant shortcomings' in plans for him to be reunited with his parents.

And how did lack of funding lead to this? Because this chap is certain that's the source of the problem. 

Responding to the report, Mr Wild, who lost his father at the age of 11 and grew up in the care system, told MailOnline: 'Yet again another child lost to our broken system.

"Lessons must be learned" yet no one seems to be putting these words into action.

'Unfortunately we can point the finger in the Finley Boden case and it points directly to an underfunded sector that fails to prioritise the safety of children even when all the evidence clearly shows this could have been prevented.'

But not by throwing yet more cash at it. By people doing the actual jobs they are paid to do. 

'We need more Social Workers back in our communities and not behind a desk looking at data all day.

'Children are not KPI's. And due to the lack of resources mistakes are made and yet again we have another tragic story when it could have been easily prevented. Children in care are still children.'

How about 'If you're a drug addict, you don't get to raise a child, ever!' as a mission statement?  

It also emerged that Finley was also handed back to his drug addict parents at a 'pivotal' court hearing against the advice of social workers which was held remotely over the telephone because of the Covid pandemic.

So the social worhkers were overruled by yet more of those female justices we were told we needed to 'humanise' the justice system?  Because it turns out that that's exactly who is mainly responsible, and gives the lie to the squawks of 'More funding!' on the part of the social workers' mouthpiece here. 

A report was submitted to the court by Amanda O'Rourke, Finley's guardian from Cafcass, the independent Children and Families Court Advisory Service, which was appointed to represent his best interests. Despite acknowledging his parents drug use and domestic violence, she argued that he should be handed over to them within six to eight weeks because they had 'clearly made and sustained positive changes.' The final decision was made by two magistrates, Kathy Gallimore and Susan Burns, who were assisted by a legal adviser.They also ruled that Marsden and Boden did not pose an 'unmanageable risk' to their son.

Whoops! OK, ladies, everyone has a shocker occasionally, why should it call into question your qualifications for the job, eh? 

The magistrates also did not order any further drug tests of his parents, despite requests from the local authority, and he came into their care on 17 November.

Maybe they should face more than just ridicule and censure by public naming? Maybe they should face dismissal from the bench at the very least?