A duty of care

But whereas these high-profile cases involved the systematic torture and murder of defenceless children, there is growing evidence of widespread child suffering caused not by the actions of parents and guardians but by their inaction, as children are apparently forgotten about and left to starve in their own homes. A stark example of this is the dreadful case of Tiffany Wright who lay dead for two days in a Sheffield pub run by her mother and stepfather.

Even though this case was four years ago, it seems there are still far too many others waiting to happen, according to the charity, Action for Children, which reports that 54 per cent of the public in this region are worried about the safety of a child they know, with the vast majority feeling unable to tell anyone of their concerns.

Even more worrying, perhaps, is the number of professionals in the region, including teachers, health workers and nursery staff, who say they have never been given guidance about neglect and have no idea how to tackle the issue.

In other words, 12 years since the death of Anna Climbie, the confusion, chaos and communication failures identified in the lengthy inquiry have still to be rectified. And unless meaningful change is brought about, with professionals given the knowledge and confidence to make early interventions when neglect is suspected, the one certainty is that the list of tragedies will continue to grow.