30 Health Workers Failed To Spot Murdered Baby’s Plight

A baby girl who was murdered by her father had been seen by 30 health care workers, yet none of them realised she was at risk, a report has found.

Jessica Randall, who died when she was 54 days old, might still be alive if signs of abuse had been properly identified, according to the findings of an inquiry by Northamptonshire’s Local SafeGuarding Children Board.

From the day she was taken home from hospital, Jessica suffered injuries inflicted by her father, including broken ribs, a fractured skull and sexual abuse. When she showed signs that something was wrong, including “strange crying and twitching”, the doctor who saw her failed to record suspicions of abuse in his notes.

She died on November 21 2005. Her father, Andrew, 33, was jailed for life for her murder in March last year and an inquiry was launched. The findings, published yesterday, found that no individual doctor or health worker was to blame for failing to register Jessica as a child at risk of abuse. It was the process through which children were reported at being at risk which had failed.

“At no stage was Jessica Randall recognised as a child at risk,” the report concluded. “The outcome may have been different had these signs been acted on, as this would have created opportunities for assessment and involvement of other agencies by activating protective procedures.”

The hospital said it had now trained its 2,000 staff on how to properly identify cases of child abuse.

“We looked very carefully at it and considered that it was the processes that were remiss,” said Dr Brendan O’Malley, the hospital’s medical director. “The individuals now know very clearly from training what they need to do in the future.”

He said the doctor had subjected Jessica’s symptoms to “a range of investigations”, including a chest X-ray and a scan, and felt that the findings negated his suspicions of child abuse.

But the Tory MP for Kettering, Philip Hollobone, said health chiefs needed to be held accountable. “The public will be amazed that the report has concluded that no individual was responsible, but if that is the case then those in charge of the processes, those in charge of the organisations, need to step up and take responsibility.”