A murdered 16-year-old girl told police she had been 'raped by one of her peers' a year before she was killed by her uncle, according to a review which criticised officers and social services for failing to protect her during lockdown. Louise Smith was beaten to death by her uncle, Shane Mays, in a 'sexually motivated attack' on VE Day 2020. The 30-year-old, who defiled her body before setting it on fire, was sentenced to life with a minimum 25 years in prison. Louise had been monitored by social workers for years and had been on a 'Child in Need Plan' due to her being considered at risk of 'domestic abuse' and 'neglect', a review by the Hampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership found. Louise Smith was beaten to death by her uncle, Shane Mays, in a 'sexually motivated attack' on VE Day 2020 The 30-year-old, who defiled her body before setting it on fire, was sentenced to life with a minimum 25 years in prison The study, overseen by independent reviewer Jon Chapman, said Louise had reported being raped a year before her death but was told there was not enough evidence to bring charges. The authors criticised Hampshire Constabulary for the way Louise was informed of the decision, writing: 'The impact of a ''no further action'' decision cannot be underestimated. 'Therefore, when a victim of rape or serious sexual assault is given details of the investigation outcome, wherever feasible, and in agreement with the victim, this would be better done in a supportive, face to face environment with the relevant supporting professional present. 'Other relevant agencies involved with the young person should also be appropriately informed, in order that the necessary support can be given. The impact of Covid on this case should be acknowledged.' Louise, who had a history of mental health issues and self-harm, had been allowed to move in with Shane Mays and his partner Chazlynn because she was considered 'at risk of homelessness' due to her unstable family home. The review found that professionals monitoring Louise had been optimistic about her progress, reporting that she had presented in 'a positive way' during the final months of her life. However, the review said: 'It is plausible that this was creating over optimism and disguised [Louise's] ongoing vulnerability or her ability to effectively utilise the support put in place.' In fact, the report added Louise 'had gone from a child who would readily engage with professionals, to disengaging at college and no longer accessing the support offered'. They found the transition from school to college was 'a very challenging period in [Louise's] life and could even be described as a 'critical moment'.' Yellow tape representing a fallen tree trunk and an orange flag marking the spot in woodland at Havant Thicket in Hampshire, where police found Louise's body Child protection records for Louise were not transferred in a 'timely' fashion so education professionals dealing with her did not 'have a full picture and history of child protection issues', the review said. The college should also have made 'adjustments' for Louise as she stopped attending and engaging, the review found. Doing so 'may have been beneficial and led to more frequent contact with education professionals', the authors added. Finally, the review found that an 'escalation policy', which is designed to ensure concerns about a child are 'robustly addressed', was 'not used effectively'. Louise, who had a history of mental health issues and self-harm, had been allowed to move in with her aunt Chazlynn's at a time when she was considered 'at risk of homelessness' due to her unstable family home. The review said Shane and Chazlynn had not been in employment for some time. Mays had told a jury at Winchester Crown Court that he had not had a job since he was 24-years-old and that he suffered fits of anger which led to him 'punching objects'. Chazlynn, herself on benefits and housebound due to anxiety, seemed to be a support or carer to Mays, who was described as having learning difficulties, the review found. The authors added: 'There were no known or previous concerns relating to the perpetrator.' Louise' mother, Rebbecca Cooper (pictured with her partner Richard O'Shea outside court) have branded Mays 'evil' However a finding in the review said: 'For adolescents on a Child in Need Plan, thorough consideration by the supporting professional network needs to be given to the parent's ability to consistently support the child.' A Hampshire safeguarding team said they were going to develop an eLearning course on the existing escalation policy to support practitioners and would develop a short briefing on the importance of multi-agency input into parent assessments. Hampshire Constabulary welcomed the findings of the review and recognised they can still make improvements when providing victims of rape and serious sexual assault with an investigative outcome, the report said. Chief Superintendent Raj Kohli said: “This was a very sad case relating to the terrible death of a teenage girl and is simply heart-breaking. “We have engaged with the review process, and we acknowledge the single recommendation for Hampshire Constabulary. Although the recommendation is not related to the death itself, as a Constabulary we seek to learn at all times. “Protecting members of our community who are most at risk of coming to harm is an absolute priority for us. All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility