Council errors led to death of toddler who was beaten to death by his parents

31 March 2024 , 16:23

641     0

Abused tot Finley Boden was murdered by his parents and failed by the social workers in charge of protecting him (Image: PA)

The council bosses in charge of looking out for tragic tot Finley Boden boasted that “children are safe”, just days before he was beaten to death.

Staff at Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership praised themselves during a conference in December 2020. The same month, 10-month-old Finley was murdered by his parents Shannon Marsden, 22, and Stephen Boden, 30. The infant suffered catastrophic injuries including 57 breaks to his bones, 71 bruises and two burns.

A report last week found a string of errors by social workers whose boss had a salary of almost £130,000. It found staff allowed the little lad to return home to Old Whittington, Chesterfield, despite knowing his parents were cannabis addicts and his dad had served time for violent behaviour.

Finley was left in the care of his drug addict parents (Derbyshire Police)

Finley’s welfare was not checked for over a month when his social worker was off sick. In the weeks before he died, six visits should have taken place but only four were attempted. Meanwhile, Michelina Racioppi, assistant director of child safeguarding, praised her staff, saying: “Everyone has been working very hard to keep children safe and there has been really good evidence of partners working effectively.”

Slides from the conference show care chiefs bragged of a “rapid response approach” and “strong partnership working”. Foster carer and children’s campaigner Martin Barrow branded the claims “reckless and insensitive”. He said: “Anybody who works in child protection will be aware there are children suffering harm. “We all do what we can to reduce the risk but we can never guarantee all children are safe, no matter how vigilant we are.”

Obsessed mum accused neighbour of running brothel and threatened to kill her

Finley's cruel mother, Shannon Marsden (PA)

Stephen Boden, Finley's evil father (PA)

Marsden was jailed for life with a minimum of 27 years and Boden for 29 years at Derby crown court in May 2023. Sentencing them, judge Mrs Justice Amanda Tipples said the pair were “persuasive and accomplished liars” who “brutally assaulted” their son, adding: “You both knew that Finley was very seriously ill and dying, yet you deliberately failed to seek any medical help for him.”

Steve Atkinson, independent chair of Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership said: “I apologise on behalf of the partnership for what happened. “Agencies took early steps to improve systems and practices, responding quickly to an immediate review of Finley’s death and the circumstances in which it took place.”

Saskia Rowlands