Finley Boden: Safeguarding review finds baby 'should have been one of the most protected children'
ITV News Central correspondent Phil Brewster looks back at the short 10 months of Finley's life, leading up to his murder at the hands of his mother and father.
Baby Finley Boden died “as the result of abuse when he should have been one of the most protected children in the local authority area”, a safeguarding review has said.
Finley, who was 10-months-old, died on Christmas Day 2020 at his family home in Chesterfield, after a campaign of abuse at the hands of his parents - Shannon Marsden and Stephen Boden.
He had been returned to his parents from care just 39 days earlier.
He had over 130 injuries on his body, including multiple bone breaks and fractures, and had sepsis and pneumonia.
The report, released by the Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership, found that there were "significant shortcomings" in the assessment and planning of Finley's return to the family home.
The Independent Chair and Scrutineer of Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership representative Steve Atkinson said: "The report acknowledges that were significant mitigating circumstances in the period leading up to Finley's death.
"The covid lockdowns, the very restricted access, unfamiliar working circumstances and remote meetings, and parental dishonesty and disengagement.
"However these are not excuses. As the report says Finely should have been one of the most protected children in the local authority area. More should and could have been done to keep Finley safe."
In May 2023, Finley's father, Stephen Boden, was sentenced to life in prison for his murder, with a minimum of 29 years.
His mother, Shannon Marsden, was sentenced to life in prison for murder, with a minimum of 27 years.
The Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership said it will “take the additional action necessary to further reduce the risk of a repeat of a similar incident” in the wake of a review into the circumstances leading up to Finley's death.
The partnership’s independent chairman and scrutineer, Steve Atkinson, said: “I offer my sincere condolences to Finley’s family and apologise on behalf of the partnership for what happened.
“The partnership agencies took early steps to improve systems and practices, responding quickly to an immediate review of Finley’s death and the circumstances in which it took place.
“In accepting in full the recommendations of this review – commissioned by the Partnership, completely independently of Derbyshire and the organisations involved – agencies will take the additional action necessary to further reduce the risk of a repeat of a similar incident.
“The Partnership Board continues to seek evidence that these changes are fully implemented and will undertake regular reviews to ensure that they have the necessary impact to help keep vulnerable local children safe.”
Derbyshire County Council’s children’s services said it accepted there had been “missed opportunities”.
The council’s executive director for children’s services, Carol Cammiss, said: “Finley’s death was a tragedy for everyone who knew him and everyone involved in his care. We are deeply saddened by his death and our thoughts are with everyone who loved him.
“Despite the significant Covid restrictions placed on our work at the time, we know there were missed opportunities for stronger practice and we apologise for that.
“We did not wait for the outcome of this review – we took immediate action to review and strengthen our systems and continue to monitor the way we work with babies and families.
“Safeguarding children in Derbyshire is our highest priority and the council accepts the findings and recommendations of the review and takes full responsibility for its actions in this case.”
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