'At the end of the day the parents killed that child' social worker in Liam Fee child abuse case speaks out
A former social worker involved in the case of murdered two-year-old Liam Fee said she feels as if the blame for his death has been placed on her.
Lesley Bate was removed from the register in 2016 after the Scottish SocialServices Council (SSSC) upheld 12 charges raised during her work at Fife Council.
They included a failure to record a number of visits, assess risks and refer cases to other support teams.
Liam died at his home on March 22, 2014 following aprolonged campaign of abuse spanning more than two years.
The abuse was at the hands of his mother Rachel Fee, also known as Rachel Trelfa, and her civil partner Nyomi Fee, both of whom are originally from Ryton in Gateshead.
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A BBC documentary titled 'Fife's Child Killings: The Untold Story', is to be
aired on Wednesday. Former social worker Lesley claims the blame for his death has been placed on her.
She said:
During Lesley's misconduct hearing, she denied multiple charges relating to the care of 15 children during her work at the local authority.
Liam's mother and her partner were both jailed for life in July 2016 for murdering Liam.
He had suffered fatal heart injuries similar to those found on road crash victims and spent the last few days of his short life in agony from an untreated broken leg and fractured arm.
The pair - originally from Ryton, Tyne and Wear - were also behind a catalogue of cruelty against two boys in their care, one of whom they tried to blame for Liam's death.
Trisha Hall, the manager at the Scottish Association of Social Workers, stressed those working in child protection "have a very very complex and demanding job".
She also told BBC Radio Scotland that there had been "significant improvements" since the time of Liam's death.
Ms Hall said: