Instead the jury was faced with a catalogue of abuse inflicted by those whose natural instinct should have been to protect the toddler.

His mother had already pleaded guilty to causing or allowing his death, and when this week her partner and another man, a guest at the family home in Haringey, were found guilty of the same offence an incomprehensible tale emerged of a curly blonde-haired toddler transformed into a dead-eyed hollow-cheeked punch bag under the supposedly watchful eyes of social workers and medical professionals.

Links were immediately made to the case of Victoria Climbie, murdered by her great aunt and the woman's partner in the same London borough eight years ago, and the conclusion drawn that the lessons so starkly detailed in Lord Laming's 2003 report and which caused the biggest shake-up in child protection simply hadn't been learnt.

As the finger-pointing began, the Government was quick to act. Children's Minister Beverley Hughes demanded more investigations at the local authority in Haringey and appointed Lord Laming to prepare an independent report into how successful his earlier recommendations have been implemented across the country.

Having already described the case of Baby P, who died despite being visited 60 times by social workers, as "dispiriting", it seems unlikely Lord Laming will find much cause for optimism.

Inevitably there has been a call for tighter regulations, more robust policing and an overhaul of social work policy, but, as the case of Baby P has proved, legislation alone is not enough to prevent history repeating itself.

"People understandably want answers to some very difficult questions, but they won't find them in a whole new pile of rules and regulations," says Shaun Kelly, head of safeguarding manager for the charity Action for Children. "Some of the recommendations made by Lord Laming were only implemented earlier this year and another wholesale change will just overcomplicate the system. The last thing we need is for social workers and other professionals responsible for protecting children tied up in red tape.

"However, we do need to look at training procedures. We all need to be confident that a social worker can not only spot the signs of abuse and neglect, but has the confidence to vocalise their concerns. Better communication is something which comes up time and again and that's something you can't simply achieve by publishing a new set of guidelines."

While Victoria Climbie and Baby P have become unfortunate symbols of the failings of the system, each year an average of 47 pre-school children are killed, most by their parents or carers.

With youngsters rarely flourishing in care, recent policy has been geared towards keeping children within the family home and managing the problems from within. However, while the approach is backed by a large body of research, it is fraught with pitfalls.

From the outside it seems unthinkable that not one of the many professionals who saw Baby P before he was found dead in his blood-spattered cot in August last year decided his interests may have been better served elsewhere.

However, as the court heard, his mother, who concealed his bruised little body by smearing him with chocolate, was as manipulative as she was cruel, often seeking help and advice which she presumably had no intention of acting upon.

"Even with substantial child protection reforms, spotting the danger to an individual child remains fraught with difficulty – especially when the child is too young to speak out," says Wes Cuell, acting chief executive of the NSPCC.

"Half of the children killed or seriously injured through abuse and neglect are babies less thana year old. A further 20 per cent are toddlers or under the age of five.

"Abusive parents or carers may threaten and intimidate social workers and other professionals to stop them discovering the truth. Seeing through their web of lies is not always as easy as it may seem.

"The overwhelming majority of those working in social work and child protection are dedicated professionals, who protect thousands of children every year. But frankly they are being overwhelmed by the scale of child abuse.

"All those working with vulnerable children must ask the right questions and make the right call for the sake of the child.

"Of course they need sufficient skill, experience and courage to challenge parents and carers effectively, but they also need enough time to spend with families and proper support to carry out their investigations."

Following Lord Laming's report, children's trusts were set up bringing all the agencies involved in child welfare under a single director. The aim was to streamline procedures and reduce the risk of potentially vulnerable children slipping through the net.

However, an Audit Commission report released last month questioned their effectiveness and the death of Baby P has highlighted the need for those involved in high-profile child protection investigations to take responsibility when things go wrong.

The doctor who failed to spot that the child she described as "miserable and cranky" was suffering from a broken back
is appealing against the decision by Great Ormond Street Hospital not to renew her contract, and while two social workers and a lawyer involved in the case have been issued warnings, it is little comfort to those demanding that heads should roll.

Prime Minister's Questions this week descended into a barrage
of finger-pointing and mudslinging as David Cameron accused the authorities of hiding under the parapet, and the emotive fallout from
the Baby P case is unlikely to be placated by Government talk of the £73m it earmarked earlier this year for supporting and supervising social workers.

According to a recent survey of health visitors, one in five said they were responsible for more than 1,000 children, and fewer than half of all hospitals have a dedicated children's social work team on site.

Coupled with a lack of paediatricians in some areas and problems with training social workers, it's hard not to view the case of Baby P as a tragedy waiting to happen.

"The same child protection postcode lottery which failed Victoria Climbie in 2000 has failed Baby P," says Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing.

"In many parts of the country child protection services are in
a dire state.

"The Government, NHS trusts and local authorities must show greater leadership and provide greater investment in training and access to designated and named professionals.

"It's something we have been calling on for some time. Hopefully now they are listening."

The sentencing of Jason Owen, along with the mother of Baby P and her 32-year-old boyfriend, who each face a maximum of 14 years behind bears, has been scheduled for December 15.

The hearing will bring an end to the court case, but it will do little to silence the debate on whether the death of Baby P was an isolated tragedy or a stark symbol of a child protection system on its knees.