Tragic Failure: 10-Month-Old Murdered After Return to Parents Despite Warnings
March 27, 2024
Finley Boden should have been highly protected by local authorities, yet he was murdered by his parents after being returned to their care.
Social services concerns about parental drug use and poor home conditions didn't prevent Finley's return to his parents in November 2020.
Finley sustained 130 injuries and fatal conditions, leading to his death on Christmas Day 2020, resulting in life sentences for his parents.
A safeguarding review identified 'significant shortcomings' in family reunification plans, labeling the safeguarding practices at the time as inadequate.
Cafcass expressed regret for not preventing the tragedy, and Derbyshire County Council's children's services acknowledged missed interventions.
The review proposed 11 recommendations to improve multi-agency coordination and clarity in family assessments and placements.
The Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership is committed to enacting the review's recommendations to prevent similar future tragedies.
Summary based on 4 sources
Get a daily email with more World News stories
Sources

The Guardian • Mar 27, 2024
Finley Boden ‘should have been one of most protected children’, finds review
The Independent • Mar 27, 2024
Damning safeguard review finds tragic baby Finley Boden died as result of abuse from parents despite being ‘protected’
The Mirror • Mar 27, 2024
Baby murdered by drug addict parents after court ruled he could go home
Express.co.uk • Mar 27, 2024
Safeguarding practice 'inadequate' in last weeks of murdered Finley Boden's life