How could little Daniel have slipped through the net?

The innocent face of four-year-old Daniel Pelka in his school photograph should trouble the conscience of every adult who came into contact with him.

Why did no one notice the suffering this little boy endured at the hands of his callous mother Magdalena Luczak and stepfather Mariusz Krezolek who starved, tortured and beat him to death?

Last week a jury found them guilty of murder and they were each sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in jail. But what troubles me is that this little boy, like so many others in the past, slipped through the net.

Teachers, social workers, NHS staff and the police had all been involved in Daniel’s life but despite the fact that he “looked like a concentration camp victim” and was “a bag of bones” before his death, no one took action to save him.

His mother and stepfather hoodwinked the authorities. Time after time opportunities were missed to protect this child.

Teachers saw him stealing food from bins. Social services knew his mother waited 12 hours to take Daniel to hospital with a broken arm. Appointments with paediatricians were cancelled. Police visited the family home several times after domestic rows.

A serious case review into the tragedy will be completed in September. And yet again the NSPCC states: “Crucial questions need to be asked about how a youngster slipped through the child protection net.”

Is it because we, as a society, are too frightened of being accused of “interfering”?

We may feel uneasy about how a child is being treated, but do we hesitate to do anything because we feel its really not our business?

Most of the time child protection agencies do a good job of looking after thousands of children.

I know this because I’ve worked with the Children’s Panel system in Scotland.

Social workers, teachers, foster parents and carers pick up the pieces and try to bring hope and safety into the lives of damaged children.

We owe them for their tireless dedication. But, tragically, sometimes mistakes are made.

Daniel failed to get the help he so desperately needed. Our society let him down.

I hope we learn from this case. I hope it makes us more vigilant.

Whether you work with children professionally or are a neighbour or family friend, don’t be afraid to voice your concerns.

A child’s life could depend on it.