Murder of Victoria Climbié
| Victoria Climbié | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Victoria Adjo Climbié 2 November 1991 Abobo, Ivory Coast |
| Died | 25 February 2000 (aged 8) London, England, United Kingdom |
| Cause of death | Hypothermia |
| Nationality | Ivorian |
| Known for | Child abuse |
| Parent(s) | Francis Climbié (father) Berthe Amoissi (mother) |
| Marie-Thérèse Kouao | |
|---|---|
| Born |
17 July 1956 Bonoua, Côte d’Ivoire |
| Criminal charge | Murder and child cruelty |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Criminal status | In prison |
| Conviction(s) | Murder and child cruelty |
| Carl Manning | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 October 1972 |
| Occupation | Bus driver |
| Criminal charge | Murder and child cruelty |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Criminal status | In prison |
| Conviction(s) | Murder and child cruelty |
In 2000 in London, an eight-year-old Ivorian girl, Victoria Adjo Climbié (2 November 1991 – 25 February 2000), was tortured and murdered by her guardians. Her death led to a public inquiry and produced major changes in child protection policies in the United Kingdom.
Born in Abobo, Côte d’Ivoire, Climbié left the country with her great-aunt Marie-Thérèse Kouao, a French citizen, for an education in France, where they travelled, before arriving in London in April 1999. It is not known exactly when Kouao started abusing Climbié, although it is suspected to have worsened when Kouao and Climbié met and moved in with Carl Manning, who became Kouao's boyfriend. During the abuse, Climbié was burnt with cigarettes, tied up for periods of longer than 24 hours, and hit with bike chains, hammers and wires. Up to her death, the police, the social services department of four local authorities, the National Health Service, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), and local churches all had contact with her, and noted the signs of abuse. However, in what the judge in the trial following Climbié's death described as "blinding incompetence", all failed to properly investigate the case and little action was taken. Kouao and Manning were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
After Climbié's death, the parties involved in her case were widely criticised. A public inquiry, headed by Lord Laming, was ordered. It discovered numerous instances where Climbié could have been saved, noted that many of the organisations involved in her care were badly run, and discussed the racial aspects surrounding the case, as many of the participants were black. The subsequent report by Laming made numerous recommendations related to child protection in England. Climbié's death was largely responsible for the formation of the Every Child Matters initiative; the introduction of the Children Act 2004; the creation of the ContactPoint project, a government database designed to hold information on all children in England (now defunct after closure by the government of 2010); and the creation of the Office of the Children's Commissioner chaired by the Children's Commissioner for England.
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