Systemic Failures Left Boy with Mouldy Bread and Severe Illness
A ten-year-old boy in Oldham endured horrific neglect, being sent to school with only mouldy bread and water in his lunchbox, a damning safeguarding review has revealed. The child, referred to as 'Abdur' in the report, was eventually hospitalised suffering from extreme malnourishment, anaemia, and scurvy—conditions that experts stated were entirely preventable.
38 Warnings Missed by Authorities
The review, conducted by Oldham Safeguarding Children Partnership, found that Abdur's school raised concerns about his rapid weight loss and other signs of neglect on 38 separate occasions. Despite these repeated alerts to social services between January and February 2023, his rapidly deteriorating condition was not adequately addressed. The report noted he was a 'very likable and delightful child', but his complaints of feeling unwell were overshadowed by his mother's 'alternative explanations'.
Abdur's mother was known to social services for long-term addiction to heroin and crack cocaine. Although Abdur was under a council care order, which was in the process of being stepped down, the system failed to protect him. His plight escalated when he suffered a knee injury; his mother and stepfather claimed they 'did not believe he was in pain' and made him walk back to school from a doctor's appointment. This extreme pain was later diagnosed as being caused by severe vitamin deficiencies.
Multi-Agency Failure Admitted by Council
The safeguarding review highlighted a shocking 'multi-agency' failure, involving not only social services but also GPs and multiple A&E visits that failed to recognise the severity of his condition. It was only when a school nurse intervened that Abdur was admitted to a paediatric hospital, where he required four teeth to be removed due to the mistreatment.
In a statement responding to the report, Shaid Mushtaq, Oldham’s cabinet member for children and young people, said: "This is a deeply distressing case, and my thoughts are first and foremost with Abdur and his family. No child should ever have to experience what they went through, and as a council we are truly sorry." He confirmed that significant changes have been made to safeguarding procedures since the incident, including earlier identification of risk and better coordination between agencies.
The care order for Abdur remains in place, and he continues to live at home with his mother, stepfather, and half-siblings.
