Preston Davey review 'should include second murdered baby'
Summary
Two toddlers, Preston Davey and Damion Russell, were abused and killed by their fathers after being placed with them following foster care. An independent review is examining how hospitals and other agencies handled their cases, and there are calls to include both deaths in a wider investigation to improve child protection.Key Facts
- Preston Davey, 13 months old, was abused and killed by his adoptive father Jamie Varley in July 2023.
- Varley was a Blackpool high school teacher convicted of murder and received a whole life prison sentence.
- Damion Russell, 2 years old, was killed by his father Daniel Hardcastle in August 2023 after Hardcastle was granted sole custody.
- Medics at Blackpool Victoria Hospital saw a bruise on Damion but did not ask his father about it, which broke safeguarding rules.
- Varley misled medics by showing an old video to explain Preston’s bruises, but the bruises were recent and unexplained.
- Both boys had recently been moved from foster care to live with their biological or adoptive fathers, who later harmed them.
- Local MPs and others are calling for a public inquiry into possible failures by state agencies to protect these children.
- The hospital trust is working to improve its practices following the cases and reviews.
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