Displaying items by tag: babies killed or harmed

Ofsted's chief inspector revealed there was an alarming 20% rise in babies being killed or harmed during the first lockdown. Out of 64 babies which were deliberately harmed in England, eight died. Some 40% of the 300 incidents reported involved infants, up by a fifth on 2019. The ‘toxic mix’ of isolation, poverty and mental illness caused the March to October spike. Health staff and social workers were hampered by Covid restrictions. Many regular visits could not take place; others were carried out by telephone or video links. When schools closed in March, children's charities and teachers expressed fears that children at risk would be left even more vulnerable under lockdown. This was one reason why schools stayed open for vulnerable children, but babies can't tell an adult if there's a problem. Often, abuse is only uncovered when there's a critical injury, or it's too late - another young life damaged or lost.