Charity calls for law change after toddler's murder

A children's charity is demanding changes in the law after a review found a succession of public bodies failed to intervene before a toddler was murdered.

Isabella Jonas-Wheildon was beaten to death by her mother's new boyfriend in June 2023.

A report released this week found multiple failures by agencies who had been in contact with the family, and said the little girl had become "invisible" to the authorities in her final weeks.

Following the findings, the National Society for the Protection of Children (NSPCC) has called for new multi-agency child protection teams to reflect children's voices and experiences at every stage of decision-making about their care and protection.

An NSPCC spokesman said: "It is unacceptable that this continues to happen, and we owe it to all children – not least our youngest like Isabella, who are particularly vulnerable to abuse and neglect – to do everything possible to protect them."

In December, Scott Jeff was sentenced to a minimum of 26 years in prison for what Judge Mr Justice Neil Garnham called a "cruel campaign of violence and abuse" which ended in the toddler's death in June 2023.

Isabella's mother, Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell, was also jailed for 10 years for causing or allowing her death.

The lifeless body of the two-year-old was pushed around in a buggy for days by her mother and Jeff, before she was found dead in a locked bathroom at a housing complex in Ipswich.

A safeguarding practice review found that in the final month of her life, authorities in Bedfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk had been alerted about Isabella, her mother and partner, but opportunities to protect the child were missed.

The NSPCC has urged the government to include the changes to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which is currently being considered by ministers.

"The cruelty and brutality that Isabella suffered at the hands of Scott Jeff was shocking and heartbreaking, and it is devastating to read that opportunities to protect this little girl were missed by professionals on a number of occasions," the spokesman added.

"This review found that in the final weeks of Isabella's life, her voice went unheard and she was invisible to authorities, and information that was gathered was not shared between agencies.

"These are issues we hear time and again after children have died or been seriously harmed through abuse or neglect."

Norfolk Police is investigating interactions it had with the family after they travelled to Great Yarmouth from their home in Biggleswade in Bedfordshire.

An officer had found the toddler sleeping in a tent on a beach with her mother and Jeff.

Gleason-Mitchell's family had also travelled from Bedfordshire to look for them but said their request for help had been turned down after visiting a police station.

The report detailed the involvement of Norfolk County Council's Children's Advice and Duty Service and Great Yarmouth Borough Council's housing department.

Ipswich Borough Council also provided emergency accommodation after the trio moved on to the town.

Central Bedfordshire Council Children's Services had also made a referral to Suffolk Children and Young People Services at this time.

In a joint statement the Central Bedfordshire, Suffolk, and Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnerships said the agencies involved accepted the review findings.

"Work is already under way to implement the recommendations," it added.

Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.