A serious case review has revealed that Tania Clarence, the mother who smothered her three disabled children, had been identified as a suicide risk and was overwhelmed by their care as early as 2010. The 43-year-old from New Malden, south-west London, admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility for the deaths of her twins Max and Ben, aged three, and daughter Olivia, aged four.
The children, who suffered from spinal muscular atrophy type 2, were found dead at their home on 22 April 2014. Clarence was detained under a hospital order in November last year after pleading guilty. The review noted that professionals recognised she was likely depressed four years before the killings, but she refused help.
Up to 60 professionals were involved with the family. The report highlighted a tension between supporting the family and using child protection measures, as well as ethical dilemmas about the children's quality of life. The parents had signed a 'do not resuscitate' order, prioritising quality of life over life-lengthening treatment.
The review made 14 recommendations, including that child-in-need planning should be led by a social worker, and that parents should be offered counselling when a child is diagnosed with a disability. Despite these, it concluded the killings were not preventable.
