12/11/02 - Victoria Climbie social workers sacked

Two social workers who gave evidence at the Victoria Climbie child abuse inquiry have been sacked for gross misconduct. Lisa Arthurworrey and Angella Mairs were dismissed by Haringey Borough Council following initial suspension after eight-year-old Victoria's death in February 2000.

Ms Arthurworrey, who told the public inquiry that she felt the council had made her a scapegoat for Victoria's death, has lodged an appeal against her dismissal, a council spokesman said.

Both workers were suspended on full pay in the wake of the Climbie child abuse scandal but disciplinary proceedings were postponed after they won a High Court ruling allowing them to give evidence at the public inquiry first.

The confidential hearings eventually took place in September, chaired by an assistant director who had no previous involvement in the case and could be impartial, the council said. A spokesman said: "They were both dismissed for gross misconduct following two separate confidential hearings."

He added that Ms Arthurworrey had lodged an appeal which would be heard by a small panel of councillors at a date yet to be arranged.

Victoria's great-aunt Marie Therese Kouao, 44, and her boyfriend Carl Manning, 28, were jailed for life in January last year for her murder. In one of Britain's worse child abuse cases, Victoria was found to have 128 separate injuries to her body after months of torture.