TWO MORE tragic children murdered after being failed by the system

The shocking failure of social workers and doctors to spot the horrific abuse of two murdered toddlers was laid bare yesterday.

Worried relatives and friends alerted officials five times before 16-month-old Star Hobson was killed in the care of her mother and her violent girlfriend.

In another appalling case, Ella-Rose Clover was murdered aged 22 months after doctors failed to raise the alarm about abuse she had suffered.

She was taken to hospital nine times in the seven months before her death with bruising and internal injuries, in one case having emergency surgery to her bowel. Six doctors and surgeons apologised or admitted they should have acted differently.

In Star's case no action was taken by social workers, who were convinced the complaints were 'malicious' due to disapproval of her mother's same-sex relationship.

Her great-grandparents even warned social services: 'We don't want another Baby P on our hands.'

The cases came after failings by the authorities in the murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes caused outrage earlier this month. In a chilling echo of Arthur's killing, Star's carers hoodwinked the authorities into believing there was no substance to concerns raised by friends and family.

Both murders occurred after periods of Covid lockdown. Experts have warned that vulnerable children were put at risk by lack of contact with the authorities during this period.

Savannah Brockhill, 28, was found guilty of Star's murder by a jury at Bradford Crown Court yesterday.

Her partner and the child's mother, Frankie Smith, 20, was cleared of murder and manslaughter but convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child. They will be sentenced today.