'Lessons learned' after teen girl's murder—council

Vulnerable Laura was involved with by 15 different services before her—but none did enough to protect her, a report on her case has concluded.

A Serious Case Review ordered after her murder in October 2010 and published this week made 37 recommendations about how the council and other agencies should reduce the risk of a repeat of the case.

But Rotherham Children and Young People’s Services said that it had already put in place many initiatives that should reduce the risk of this happening again.

The report, written by Prof Pat Cantrill, highlighted the importance of professionals and services “seeing, observing and hearing the child.”

Laura, referred to as Child S, had previously been on the child protection register and was still regarded as a child in need.

“Of significance is that the care of Child S did not focus on her and her needs. She was almost invisible to some services,” the report added.

Several areas of “considerable concern” were spotlighted by the report.

Areas identified where there appeared to be a lack of knowledge and understanding which should form part of training in the future included improving knowledge of sexual exploitation and grooming including a better understanding of perpetrators, issues associated with the effective management of services and a lack of good inter-agency working.

Alan Hazell, chair of the Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board, said:

“There is no suggestion that anyone could have saved Child S from what ultimately happened to her but clearly her care could have been improved.