Perrin Barlow

Perrin Barlow died on the 16th July 2002 aged 9 months.

Perrin lived with his mother, Stephanie Horrocks, and her boyfriend, Mark McAndrew in a squalid city flat in Plymouth. The flat which Perrin lived in was visited 47 times in the 50 days prior to his death by social workers. Horrocks was a drug addict who worked as a prositute to fund her addiction. Neighbours reported seeing the "pasty" and "undernourished" faces of Horrocks two other young children pressed up against the window pleading to be let out, and said Perrin was so underweight he looked like a "doll". Neighbours became increasingly worried for Perrin after screaming, swearing and crying could be heard in the flat.

In January 2002, Perrin became increasingly ill from a chest infection and Horrocks was told to take him to hospital but refused claiming "she had other things to do". Over the next six months Perrin's health deteriorated rapidly. Neighbour Janet Pay said: "Perrin always looked ill and lifeless. He looked like a doll. I contacted social services and the police on several occasions and got no reply." Despite the reported widespread concern about the family, Perrin was left to die of a chest infection brought on by malnutrition and dehydration. One week before Perrin's death social worker Catherine Capron visited the flat in Plymouth but found nothing wrong except that he was a little underweight. Capron claimed his condition must have "deteriorated rapidly" after that.

Perrin was allowed to stay with his mother even though she had a previous conviction for neglecting an older child. Perrin's natural father died in a car crash shortly after he was born. Medical staff failed to tell social workers of evidence that Horrocks was using drugs and police did not pass on information about her working as a prostitute. The child welfare agency Cafcas should have appointed a guardian to carry out an assessment but had such a backlog of work that it defied a court order to do so. When medical aid finally arrived for Perrin, a paramedic said the home was one of the dirtiest places he had seen in nine years of service. Horrocks did not call an ambulance until Perrin had stopped breathing by which time it was too late to revive him. After his death in July critical executive summary report by Plymouth's Area Child Protection Committee later described a "fundamental failure to protect the child from significant harm". The report said Perrin had been born "extremely vulnerable, premature with symptoms of drug withdrawal" but that the focus of care was on "the needs of the adults".

It is understood no one was sacked or even disciplined after Perrin's death, although it is thought some staff were offered re-training. Perrin died from bronchopneumonia, which was triggered by dehydration and malnutrition, while on the child protection register and under an interim supervision order. Plymouth Council won a High Court battle to prevent an inquiry into its role in the death Perrin whose mother was jailed for cruelty. A judge quashed a coroner's call for an investigation into the role of "systems neglect" in the death of nine-month-old Perrin Barlow. His excuse:Mr Justice Wilson said that, while taking Perrin into care would have saved him, the council and other agencies had no reason to suspect there was a "real and immediate" threat to his life. Yes Mr Justice Wilson but perhaps it would of "again" highlighted the reoccuring failure of Child Welfare officials lack of communication...............

RIP Perrin Barlow your safe from harm now, you have lots of other special little angels to play with.