Toddler Fatally Beaten in Abuse Shelter Month After Social Services Visit
A two-year-old boy was fatally beaten by his mother's boyfriend in a shelter for domestic abuse victims just one month after a visit from social services. Kol Page suffered catastrophic brain damage when he was brutally attacked by former Territorial Army soldier Scott O'Connor.
Missed Opportunities to Save Kol
Authorities missed a string of possible chances to save Kol after his mother Zoe Coutts cancelled five planned home visits in the months before he was hospitalised in April 2022. Photographs later revealed the tragic toddler had significant bruising on days he had been due to be seen at his home in Bromley, south London.
O'Connor had ruthlessly beaten the child over several months, while the couple lied to family and friends, claiming Kol was always falling off things and bumping into things.
Systemic Failures in Child Protection
The Daily Mirror can reveal that Coutts cancelled planned visits from a Family Support Worker from Bexley Council on five occasions between November 2021 and March 2022. The campaign of terror culminated in the toddler being rushed to hospital on April 25, 2022, when doctors discovered he had serious internal injuries.
Kol was left with catastrophic brain damage and severe disabilities, requiring round-the-clock care. He spent 14 months in hospital before moving to live with a foster family. Two years later, on June 29, 2024, he died from his injuries aged four.
Breach of Shelter Rules
O'Connor, who had a history of violence and drug abuse, visited the family home 28 times in the month before Kol's death and stayed overnight on 16 occasions. This occurred despite the residence being a domestic abuse refuge that explicitly banned male visitors.
The last time the family was seen by authorities was on March 22, just two days before Coutts moved to the supported housing in a neighbouring local authority area.
Council Response and Legal Proceedings
A spokesperson for Bexley Council stated Kol did not have an allocated social worker because no safeguarding or child protection issues were noted at that time. The council emphasised the family were being supported by an Early Help scheme, a voluntary service where parents cannot be forced to engage or accept help.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed the family were not known to the force prior to the incident. The couple were cleared of murder last week at Southwark Crown Court. O'Connor was convicted of manslaughter while Coutts was found guilty of causing or allowing Kol's death. Both are due to be sentenced in May.
Broader Context of Domestic Abuse Deaths
A report published in March, led by the National Police Chiefs' Council, found five victims of domestic abuse die every week on average, with 1,012 abuse-related deaths occurring over four years. There were 262 such homicides in England and Wales in the year to March 2024.
- 80 victims were killed by their partners
- 31 victims were killed by an adult family member
- 11 children died in domestic abuse-related incidents
Among these tragic cases was Sara Sharif, murdered at her family home in Woking, Surrey. Her father Urfan Sharif was sentenced to serve at least 40 years in jail, while her step-mother Beinash Batool received a minimum term of 33 years. Sara's uncle Faisal Malik was sentenced to 16 years for causing or allowing her death.
In another case during the same period, Ethan John, 11, and his sister Elizabeth, seven, were stabbed to death by their mother Veronique John in Stoke-on-Trent. She was deemed unfit to plead and was detained indefinitely.
