An eight-year-old boy who died from scurvy had become 'invisible' to authorities after his parents chose to educate him at their secluded Welsh home, according to an independent report. Dylan Seabridge, who lived with his parents and sibling in rural Pembrokeshire, had not been seen by health or education professionals since he was 13 months old.
Dylan collapsed in December 2011 and suffered a cardiac arrest in an ambulance. A postmortem found anaemia and loose teeth, concluding that these were due to longstanding vitamin C deficiency or scurvy. His parents, who followed a strict vegetarian diet, disputed the cause of death, attributing his symptoms to 'growing pains'.
The child practice review, published on Friday, recommends a change in law to require a register of all home-educated children and annual meetings with them. The report states that while home education is not a risk factor, it can lead to children becoming 'invisible' and isolated from safeguarding professionals.
The report, from child protection expert Gladys Rhodes White, notes that there is no information about Dylan's personality or aspirations, highlighting the lack of engagement. It suggests that if different professionals had shared information, intervention might have been possible.
The review also calls for consideration of mandatory routine health checks for home-educated children, as they are not currently subject to the same screenings as schoolchildren. Pembrokeshire council had been alerted to the family in 2010 but was denied access by the father.
