Risk to baby was 'unforeseen'

Carla-Nicole died from her injuries

The murder of a 13-month-old girl by her mother's partner could not have been foreseen by care agencies, according to an independent inquiry.

However, the report into the death of Carla-Nicole Bone said care services should make improvements in areas like the sharing of information.

It also stressed: "The responsibility for protecting children rests with the whole community and agencies need the collaboration of members of the public to allow them to fulfil their duties in protecting children."

Carla-Nicole died after a frenzied attack by Sandy McClure at a remote cottage near Huntly, Aberdeenshire, in May 2002.

Even if all the proposals and recommendations within the report were to be fully adopted by everyone no agency or group of agencies will be able to prevent all child deaths or abuse Report's findings

McClure, 27, was jailed for life last September and Carla-Nicole's mother Andrea was jailed for three years for failing to protect her daughter.

Twenty-year-old Bone, who is now appealing against her conviction, was found guilty of culpable homicide, while the jury rejected pleas in mitigation for McClure, who subjected the child to torture and was found guilty of murder.

It emerged that the family was considered to have problems and was deemed vulnerable.

Carla-Nicole was known to care services in Grampian NHS Trust, Aberdeen City Council and then Aberdeenshire Council after the family moved house.

Bruising had been found on Carla-Nicole's body by various care workers but a lack of continuity in care meant that changes may not have been spotted.

There was no agreed care plan by social work and health staff and also a reluctance among some to challenge the baby's mother about her standards of care in case she disappeared.

A review carried out by two independent experts at the request of the North East of Scotland Child Protection Committee (NESCPC) concluded that care services "could not have foreseen her violent death".

Report authors Anne Black and Anne Burgham said: "The report finds the work with Carla and her family by professionals was extensive and that much was done to try and secure a better level of care for her.

McClure launched a savage attack

"Even if all the proposals and recommendations within the report were to be fully adopted by everyone no agency or group of agencies will be able to prevent all child deaths or abuse.

"The findings of this review are being made public. We said from the start this would be the case and many important messages and recommendations have come out of this review - not only for child protection committees and the caring agencies but also for the Scottish Executive, councils and the wider community including the media."

Ms Black added that there was no way of predicting McClure's actions.

She said: "It is very hard to know just what violence is inside a person and certainly from the records we read, from interviews with staff, the man who killed her was acting as a caring parent in all the contacts that professionals had with him."

The review said those working with vulnerable families should:

• "have a clear, shared plan and objectives set for the work to be undertaken";

• ensure continuous contact with the families in order to be aware of "small but sometimes significant changes" in child care;

• ensure that information is shared and reviewed;

• keep records in chronological order.

The experts said everyone should feel a responsibility for the country's children and report any concerns.

The review comes as the Scottish Executive is looking at reform of child protection.

The jury at the High Court in Stonehaven heard that the girl endured cruel and sustained abuse in the months leading up to her death.

Last May McClure - who had abused the child for months - flung Carla-Nicole from wall to wall "like a pendulum", splitting her skull, because she was unable to keep her balance.

Andrea Bone failed to protect her child

In hospital doctors found the unconscious child was covered in bruises and had suffered a fractured skull and swelling of the brain.

Despite surgeons' efforts she died when her life support machine was switched off.

Detectives said it was the worst case of child abuse they had seen.

Experts considered whether anything could have been done by health or social workers to prevent her death.

After the verdicts were delivered social workers said they had found "no evidence" McClure posed a serious risk to his partner's child after investigating complaints she was being neglected.

Aberdeen City Council said it had responded to two allegations of neglect, one just a month before Nicole Bone died, but concluded there was no need for "formal protection procedures".

A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said: "We will look closely at the findings of the report into Carla-Nicole Bone's death and where necessary ensure these help inform our three-year child protection reform programme."