Murdered boy 'failed by agencies'

The judge said Hawkins had murdered Ryan to avenge his wife's affair

A man who murdered his son and tried to kill his daughter was allowed to look after them alone despite a history of domestic violence, a report has said.

Christopher Hawkins, of Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, was jailed for life in March for stabbing to death his four-year-old son Ryan in September 2007.

He was also convicted of attempting to murder his daughter Donna, 14.

A case review said police, NHS managers and social workers failed to see "the significant dangers" Hawkins posed.

However, the report said the attacks could not have been predicted and "no-one who worked with the children prior to the assaults on the children should be seen in any way responsible".

Accountability "clearly rests with the children's father", it stressed.

The 47-year-old sheet metal worker had separated from his wife in May 2007 and later discovered she had been having an affair.

At no point did any agency consider the significant dangers of unsupervised contact between the children and the father Case review report

Jailing Hawkins for a minimum term of 21 years, the judge at Leeds Crown Court, Mr Justice Wilkie, said Hawkins had killed Ryan as "a cold-hearted vehicle to avenge his wife's affair".

A serious case review by the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board has now revealed that all agencies involved with the children "failed to fully take account of the adverse affects of domestic violence and to wholly assess the risks from the father".

It also highlighted "significant failures of communication" by all agencies involved - Kirklees Council, West Yorkshire Police, Kirklees Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the Calderdale & Huddersfield Foundation NHS Trust.

Despite two allegations of physical abuse being made against Hawkins by one of his two daughters, none of the three children was seen by the council's safeguarding and specialist provision service.

The report said: "It was apparent that whilst a number of agencies had significant involvement with the family over recent years, and that in all cases domestic violence had been a feature, no agency ever addressed domestic violence as a primary concern.

Ryan Hawkins had spent the weekend in the sole care of his father

"It was of concern to the review panel that at no point did any agency consider the significant dangers of unsupervised contact between the children and the father.

"At the time of the incident the parents had separated and there were serious charges against the father of rape, false imprisonment and use of a weapon."

The review panel made 28 recommendations to the authorities, including:

Kirklees Council must develop guidance regarding safety planning for children in relation to domestic violence and contact issues.

Kirklees PCT must "ensure that health professionals, including GPs, are aware of appropriate interventions for children experiencing the adverse effects of domestic violence".

Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Trust must improve the reaction of its Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service to youngsters suffering domestic violence.

West Yorkshire Police should review its use of current police recording systems by police personnel and ensure that appropriate information is shared with relevant agencies.