Judge hits out over girl who was starved

Mrs Justice King said Khyra Ishaq would probably not have died if the authorities had acted on warnings.

Her remarks could only be made public yesterday after Khyra's mother Angela Gordon was found guilty of her killing. Gordon admitted manslaughter of Khyra two weeks ago and was formally found not guilty of murder by jurors at Birmingham Crown Court on the orders of judge Mr Justice Roderick Evans.

The decision to accept Gordon's plea to the lesser charge came after she admitted five counts of child cruelty and psychiatrists agreed she was suffering from severe depression when Khyra died in May 2008.

Gordon, 35, and Khyra's stepfather, Junaid Abuhamza, 30, who also pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, will be sentenced next week.

Speaking after the verdict Detective Inspector Sean Russell said he believed the little girl was kept a virtual prisoner.

Reading a pre-prepared statement, Mr Russell said: "Khyra was found dead at her home address in the most harrowing circumstances, which has reduced the most professional police officers to tears.

"The very people who should have been looking after Khyra – her mother and Junaid Abuhamza – killed her through systematic abuse."

Khyra, the officer noted, had been the subject of numerous beatings and been starved of food, while being isolated from other children.

Despite the house being well-stocked with food the five other children in the defendants' care were "similarly starved" and assaulted, with two of them found in a state of acute, severe and dangerous malnutrition.

In her ruling of March last year, relating to care proceedings, Mrs Justice King said: "It is beyond belief that, in 2008 a child of seven was withdrawn from school and thereafter kept in squalid conditions for a period of five months before finally dying of starvation".

The children were fed "like puppies" from communal bowls and became increasingly desperate. Khyra ate bread her neighbours put out for the birds.

Two of the children caught stealing peanut butter were made to eat it until they were sick, and on other occasions they were beaten with a stick by Abuhmaza while he sang. Other punishments included being forced to sit in cold baths while cold water was poured over them.

Doctors treating them were forced to turn to studies of concentration camp and famine victims.

"The schools did all they could to bring their concerns to the attention of the relevant authorities," the judge said. "These concerns were not taken sufficiently seriously and were not adequately investigated."

Social services' attention was drawn to the family the day after the mother withdrew them. Between then, December 2007, and Khyra's death in May 2008 police had one glimpse of her.

By March 2008 their home was in chaos. Abuhamza had left unfinished a series of repairs which left the family with only three usable rooms and six children shared a double mattress on the bare wooden floor. All their toys had been thrown out.

The kitchen, with a well-stocked fridge, was locked.

The judge said: "No professional person, whether teacher or social worker, saw the children after February 2008 and no-one tried to see them."

Mrs Justice King said Khyra's death "was caused by and is the responsibility of her mother" and her partner, adding "in all probability had there been an adequate initial assessment and proper adherence by the educational welfare services to its guidance, K would not have died".

Birmingham City Council's strategic director for children, young people and families Tim Howell yesterday rejected calls to quit but did issue an apology and it had caused "a great deal of hard reflection among all the agencies in the city who have a responsibility to protect vulnerable children."

Days marking way to tragedy

2007

December 6: Khyra withdrawn from primary school by her mother.

December 19: School deputy headteacher contacts Birmingham City Council children's services.

2008

January 28: Social worker visits Leyton Road but it appears no-one is there property and she leaves.

February 21: Social workers refused entry to home.

March 8: Neighbour sees Khyra whimpering in garden.

May 17: Khyra found dying or dead by paramedics called to her home.