Death of a Son

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Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales (IICSA) (2018) Independent inquiry into child sexual abuse. [Accessed 22/08/2018]. The child death review process covers all children; a child is defined in the Children Act 1989 as a person under 18 years of age. A child death review must be carried out for all children regardless of the cause of death. This will include the death of any new-born baby (of any gestation) who shows signs of life following birth, or where the birth was unattended, but does not include those (of any gestation) who are stillborn where there was medical attendance, or planned terminations of pregnancy carried out within the law. The purpose of a child death review is to identify any matters relating to the death, or deaths, that are relevant to the welfare of children in the area or to public health and safety, and to consider whether action should be taken in relation to any matters identified. Where it is found that action should be taken by a person or organisation, they will be informed. Contents

The Scottish Government announced its intention to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scottish law (Scottish Government, 2019). 24 2020 – Safeguarding during coronavirus and corporal punishment made illegal in Jersey, Scotland and WalesThe Care of Children Committee, led by Dame Myra Curtis, investigated and made recommendations about how care was provided for children who weren’t able to live with their own parents or relatives in England and Wales. Klonowski, A (2013) Report of the Independent Reviewing Officer in relation to child sexual exploitation issues in Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council during the period 2006 to 2013. [Rochdale]: Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council (no longer available). Scotland’s Minister for Children published a review of the Children’s Hearing System, entitled Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) (PDF), highlighting a dramatic increase in identified children with multiple needs (Creegan, C., Henderson, and King, 2006). 8 The need to improve the system contributed to the development of stronger measures to enable professionals working with children to recognise and respond to child abuse and neglect, including the Children Act 1975. Lord Laming’s The protection of children in England: a progress report (PDF) made 58 recommendations for child protection reforms (Laming, 2009). 10

Department for Education (2013) Working together to safeguard children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (PDF). [London]: Department for Education (DfE). The Football Association (FA) launched an internal review following allegations of child abuse (FA, 2017). 17 The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 aimed to strengthen the rights of children and young people in Scotland. It provided extra support for children in care and care leavers, and created systems to identify and respond to child welfare concerns at an early stage.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report into child sexual abuse and exploitation in institutions in England and Wales (IICSA, 2022) 31. The report sets out findings and common themes arising from the work of the Inquiry and made 20 recommendations for reform for the UK and Welsh governments and other institutions 2023 – government sets out plans to reform children’s social care in England and responds to IICSA’s recommendations The Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry (HIA) in Northern Ireland published its final report (HIA, 2017). 20 Recommendations included a public apology, a redress board, a compensation scheme and a statutory commissioner for survivors of institutional childhood abuse (COSICA). 2018 – Updated guidance in England and Domestic Abuse Act in Scotland The Welsh Government formally adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (Welsh Government, 2019). 7 2006 – Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act and GIRFEC However, it was a need to mourn properly, and escape the glare of publicity, that brought them to Yarmouth in 1990 - a place of happy memories for them and John, who had been in the town just days before his death. Screen Two-produced drama from the BBC focusing on the trial that followed the death of 19-year-old John Williams (Jay Simpson). In 1982 John was given a lethal overdose of Palfium, injected by a drug dealer. When the Director of Public Prosecutions decided that the drug dealer was not to be charged with unlawful killing, John's parents, Pauline (Lynn Redgrave) and Ray (Malcolm Storry), became determined to fight for justice in a private prosecution for manslaughter.

The first formal child death inquiry took place in England in 1945 into the death of Dennis O'Neill, who was killed at the age of 12 by his foster father. Read the Scottish Executive's report of the Child Protection Audit and Review via our library catalogue 2001 – First Children’s Commissioner Scottish Government (2021) National guidance for child protection in Scotland. [Accessed 05/10/2023]. Responding to the death of a child: the Child Death Review process (focus on the individual child) (Jump to) The Child Death Review Statutory and Operational Guidance (England) (2018) sets out the key features of robust child death review and applies to all organisations involved with child death review processes.

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Since 1999 the process of devolution has seen power and responsibility transferred from the Houses of Parliament in Westminster to national governments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Their efforts led to two men being found guilty of manslaughter, and although the longest imprisonment term of the two was only 15 months, a sentence that Ray said “enraged” them because of its brevity, it was a sign of some kind of justice at last. So it was in 1989 that, still coping with their grief, Pauline and Ray had the strange experience of seeing themselves played by Hollywood stars.

The Children's Commissioner for Wales Act 2001 created the first children’s commissioner post in the UK. 2002 – Reforms to child protection legislationThough it meant the family had to sell many of their possessions, Pauline’s work made her a national figure in the fight against drugs. The conditions created by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic meant that everyone working with children and families had to adapt the way they keep children safe. Governments in all four UK nations published a range of safeguarding and child protection guidance during the pandemic. The independent review of children’s social care published its final report on the children’s social care system in England (MacAlister, 2022) 28. The UK Government set out the initial measures it would take to improve children’s social care following the publication of the report, which included setting up a National Implementation Board to advise on reforms (DfE, 2022) 29. To make recommendations to all relevant organisations where actions have been identified which may prevent future child deaths or promote the health, safety and wellbeing of children; The Wales Safeguarding Procedures were published to provide guidance on safeguarding children and adults who are at risk of abuse and neglect (Wales Safeguarding Procedures Project Board, 2019). 22