Today’s Home Office coverage of interest includes stories on the inquest into the tragic death of Poppi Worthington.
Poppi Worthington Inquest
The Telegraph, Guardian and Mail are among those that have covered the conclusion of a second inquest into the death of toddler Poppi Worthington, which found she was sexually assaulted in her father’s bed before dying of asphyxiation.
The coroner also ruled that there “was a range of very significant failings” on behalf of Cumbria Police, where vital evidence was not collected.
Both Yvette Cooper MP and John Woodcock MP are quoted in the media calling for a full investigation into the case.
A response following the conclusion of the inquest from the the Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability can be found below.
Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability, Victoria Atkins, said:
The tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Poppi Worthington are extremely distressing.
This Government is working to protect children and the most vulnerable in our society. Every police force has a duty to protect children and to investigate effectively and thoroughly when they come to harm. Failures by police – or any other agency involved – must be identified and action taken to ensure they are never repeated.
We were deeply concerned about the findings in the Independent Police Complaints Commission report into Cumbria Constabulary last year. Cumbria Constabulary have accepted their failings in this case and HMICFRS found significant improvements during the most recent child protection inspection in September 2017. We trust that these improvements will continue in order to keep vulnerable people safe from harm.