MP demands probe into girl's death
- 00:01:18
- ITN
MP demands probe into girl's death
Questions are being asked about how a child was apparently allowed to starve to death in Birmingham.Seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq was rushed to Birmingham Children's Hospital on Saturday but died later that day.Five other children were also found at the Handsworth home she lived in.A man and woman have been charged with neglect.Birmingham Perry Barr MP Khalid Mahmood is to write to the head of Birmingham City Council demanding an investigation into social services' contact with the family of Khyra Ishaq.Mr Mahmood claimed the youngster and her siblings were removed from school by her mother ten weeks ago amid claims of bullying.The MP has been told that an educational social worker then paid a visit to the seven-year-old's family home, but that no further follow-up checks took place.He said: "I just find that amazing. It just beggars belief that we have allowed this to happen, especially when an educational social worker has been once - and then no action at all."There are structural issues here within the local authority that need to be addressed."I will be asking the local authority at the first available opportunity to account for their inaction. There are lessons to be learned here - we have to be far more stringent with people who don't take their children to school."Sources have said the youngster is believed to have died of starvation, although police say the cause of death is yet to be confirmed.West Midlands Police said in a statement: "We can confirm that a seven-year-old girl was taken to hospital on Saturday 17 May, where she was pronounced dead. Her cause of death has not been confirmed at this stage."Police are conducting inquiries and a man aged 29 and a woman aged 33 have been charged with neglect and appeared before Birmingham Magistrates on May 19."They have been remanded to appear again on 28 May. As proceedings are active, we cannot comment further at this time."
ITN | May 22, 2008
