A 32-YEAR-OLD unemployed handyman and his friend have escaped a murder conviction today for the horrific death of a baby who died after months "being used as a punchbag."



The tot was found to have a broken back, nine fractured ribs, fingernails and a toenail missing, a rip in his mouth, a torn ear, extensive bruising on his body and sores and punctures on his head.

And the baby had been on the child protection register for the entirety of his abuse.

The handyman the child's mother's boyfriend was convicted of causing or allowing the death of the 17-month-old tot but found not guilty of his murder.

His friend, Jason Owen, 36, of Bromley, south east London, who was a house guest of the couple, was convicted of the same charge.

His case has been described as worse than that of tragic Victoria Climbie.



Horrifying ... computer image of baby's injuries

And as a result the Childrens Minister Beverley Hughes today announced a nationwide independent review of child protection services.

But reports today state that two social workers who missed the child's injuries and a lawyer have only been given formal written warnings by Haringey council.

The childs 27-year-old mother pleaded guilty to the same charge of causing or allowing the death of the tot earlier and will be sentenced on December 15.

She was cleared of murder earlier on the directions of the judge.


Injuries

The 32-year-old was also cleared of murder by the jury.

The jury was told to convict him of the lesser charge if they could not agree on who caused the injuries in the house where the three adults were living.

The family, from Haringey, north London, cannot be named for legal reasons.

The abuse was said to have taken place over eight months, during which time the boy was on the child protection register of Haringey social services.

He was seen 60 times by health or social workers during that period, being seen about twice a week.

By the end, he was unrecognisable, his curly, golden locks shaved off, his cheeks hollow and his eyes dead to the world.


His mother even got away with smearing him with chocolate to hide the bruises
He had more than 50 injuries or bruises and an attempt had been made to cover up the crime.



He should have been protected by social workers, police and health professionals, the Old Bailey heard.

But his mother had been able to manipulate them with lies and even got away with smearing him with chocolate to hide bruises.

In the 48 hours before the boy was found dead in his *lo**-spattered cot, a doctor failed to spot his broken spine.

And police told the mother she would not be prosecuted after being arrested twice for suspected child cruelty.

The tragedy has echoes of the Victoria Climbie murder in 2000, when eight-year-old Victoria died after care workers and police failed to save her.

In an ironic twist, both childrens homes were a stones throw from each other, and they were under the care of the same local services.

Mor Dioum, director of the Victoria Climbie Foundation, set up to improve child protection, said: This case is worse than Climbie. The signs were there but were not followed.

There were systematic and operational failures that led to the tragic and sad death of such a beautiful child.



Sad ... Judith Reed of the CPS reads a statement

He called for a public inquiry into the failings.

Gillie Christou, in charge of social workers looking after children on the register in Haringey, told the court she had agreed to keep the baby with his mother.

She said: I made the decision at the time based on the material in front of me and based on the background to the case.

A detective in the case said the boy had more than 50 injuries, 15 of them to the mouth.

He described the boyfriend as sadistic - fascinated with pain. He had Nazi memorabilia in the house.

The mother was a slob, completely divorced from reality. She was living in a dream world and put her lover before her child. She closed her eyes to what was going on.

After the case, police said they had complied with a multi-agency long-term care plan for the family.

But procedures have now been toughened up to give police more confidence in challenging decisions.

Detective Superintendent Caroline Bates said police errors were made which caused a delay at the start of the abuse inquiry, but these had not been significant to the outcome.

She said: With hindsight, having the benefit of a major investigation, we know quite clearly that the mother was lying and trying to subvert agencies involved with the family.

The mother had appeared to be co-operating with agencies but she constantly conspired to prevent us knowing what was going on.



Suffering ... *lo**y clothes of tragic tot
In June police officers felt very strongly that he should not be returned to his mother.

A police inspector asked twice if the threshold had been reached to start care proceedings.

This was a huge tragedy which should have been avoided. If we had only known the truth about the adults in the house, said Ms Bates.

Dr Sabah Al-Zayyat , who was involved in the failed clinic check, has been banned from working unsupervised until the inquiry is complete after she failed to spot the toddlers broken back and ribs during an examination.

She may then face a disciplinary hearing at the General Medical Councils Fitness to Practise panel.

Great Ormond Street Hospital, which provides paediatric services to children from Haringey said Dr Al-Zayyat is no longer working there.

Owen and the 32-year-old man were remanded in custody to be sentenced on December 15.