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The death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbié in 2000 changed the way social services were run in the UK. Her guardians, one of whom was her great-aunt, claimed she was possessed by evil spirits and inflicted multiple injuries on her over seven months. She eventually died of malnutrition and hypothermia.
A public inquiry concluded that the ‘suffering and death of Victoria was a gross failure of the system’. The system was then legislated under the Children Act 1989, and while the act centred on promoting children’s welfare, it lacked emphasis on the need for co-ordinated partnerships and clarity for individuals within organisations to fulfil their responsibilities.
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