| Flowers in Gods Garden
- Articles |
29/08/02
- Climbié inquiry attacks racism claim
Patrick Butler
The Guardian
The Climbié inquiry, headed by Lord Laming, has
hit back at claims by inquiry witness Carole Baptiste
that she was the victim of racism, calling her remarks
"unfortunate and offensive".
Baptiste, a former social work manager at Haringey council
who was involved in the care of murdered child abuse
victim Victoria Climbié, was convicted this week
of obstructing a public inquiry into the young girl's
death. She told reporters after the verdict that her
treatment by Lord Laming's team showed elements of "institutional
racism".
But in a letter to the Guardian today, the inquiry says
that its decision to prosecute Baptiste, who had persistently
refused to cooperate with its investigations, was motivated
entirely by a "determination to conduct a thorough
investigation into the circumstances of Victoria's death".
The letter, from Climbié inquiry secretary Mandy
Jacklin, says: "Ms Baptiste was prosecuted because
she committed the criminal offence of failing to attend
the inquiry having been summonsed to do so.
"The decision to prosecute her was taken after
six months of effort on the part of the inquiry had
proved unsuccessful in securing her cooperation. It
was only after the summons was issued that Ms Baptiste
agreed to cooperate with the inquiry."
The inquiry also takes issue with Baptiste's claims
that she was not well enough to come to the inquiry.
"She was offered the opportunity of being assessed
by an independent medical expert to decide if that was
so.
In this, she was treated in exactly the same way as
every other witness in a similar position. She refused
the offer." Baptiste, who was fined £500
by Camberwell Green magistrates court, south London,
for failing to attend to the inquiry proceedings, was
supposed to supervise the social worker in charge of
Victoria's case, Lisa Arthurworrey.
The eight-year-old died in February 2000 after being
tortured and starved by her great aunt, Maria Thérèse
Kauao and her great aunt's boyfriend. Victoria, who
was sent to Britain by her parents from the Ivory Coast
for a better education, had 128 injuries to her body.
|
| Contact : bernard.omahoney@bernardomahoney.com |
|
|
| Flowers in Gods Garden |
|
| Paul Pearson |
|
| Rosie Palmer |
|
| Sophie Hook |
|
| Sarah Payne |
|
| Victoria Climbie |
|
| Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman |
- Documents
- Audio
|
| The Yorkshire Ripper |
- Video
|
|
