Baptiste the liar in court
Climbie inquiry social worker 'ran campaign of obstruction'
 

A senior social worker involved in the care of Victoria Climbie is standing trial accused of refusing to help the public inquiry into her death.

Carole Baptiste, 39, conducted a six-month campaign of "obstruction, obfuscation and non co-operation", Camberwell Magistrates Court has heard.

The former social services manager at Haringey Council faces six months in jail and a £1,000 fine as the first person to be tried for deliberately breaching an inquiry summons.

Brian Altman, prosecuting, told the court: "The defendant simply brought to breaking point the patience both of Lord Laming (the inquiry chairman) and the inquiry which had very serious issues to decide.

"Umpteen warnings of a possible criminal penalty in her failure to help the inquiry were left, and it is regrettable that there was no choice but to proceed with this hearing."

Lord Laming considered that Baptiste, who supervised Lisa Arthurworrey, Victoria Climbie's social worker, was "an extremely important witness", Mr Altman went on.

There were repeated attempts, both directly to Baptiste and through her solicitors, "simply to secure a modicum of co-operation from her but none was forthcoming", he said.

Eight-year-old Victoria died in February 2000 after being beaten, starved and tortured by her great aunt, Marie Therese Kouao and Kouao's lover, Carl Manning, who are serving life for murder. The little girl, who had 128 injuries on her body, had been starved, beaten and trussed in a bin bag, and made to sleep in a freezing bathroom.

The government-appointed inquiry, which is set to report in September, was trying to establish how three local authorities, police and social services, who came in contact with Victoria before her death, failed to save her. Baptiste eventually gave evidence at the inquiry on January 15 and 16 this year.

Her solicitor, Peter Herbert, told the court she was unable to attend the inquiry earlier because of a mental breakdown and "the inquiry were aware of it".

We say:-

It's about time a Social Worker faced the full force of the law for her actions.  Let's hope that the penalty is severe if she is found guilty.

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