A devastating inquest has concluded that a five-year-old boy who died after a severe allergic reaction was failed by both his school and the police investigation that followed. Benedict Blythe collapsed and died in 2021 after being exposed to cow's milk protein at his school.
A Fatal Breakdown in Safeguarding
The jury-led inquest heard that Benedict, who had a severe allergy to cow's milk, was following a strict safety plan devised with his parents. His designated oat milk was supposed to be stored separately in a staff room fridge and poured into his cup only within the classroom to avoid cross-contamination.
On the day of his death, this protocol was fatally breached. The milk was poured in the staff room instead and then brought to him. Jurors concluded this act was the probable source of the cow's milk protein that caused his fatal anaphylaxis.
Missed Opportunities and a Botched Response
After ingesting the allergen, Benedict began vomiting in class. Despite the administration of two adrenaline pens, the inquest found there were delays in his treatment. His parents arrived to find staff desperately trying to revive him before he was rushed to Peterborough City Hospital, where he later died.
The failures did not end there. A Prevention of Future Deaths report published this week revealed that the subsequent police investigation was critically flawed. Officers failed to collect samples of Benedict's vomit, a crucial piece of evidence. This misstep led investigators to initially focus incorrectly on a McVitie's biscuit as a potential cause.
The Campaign for 'Benedict's Law'
The tragic loss has spurred Benedict's family into action. They are now campaigning for the government to implement "Benedict's Law", aiming to end what they describe as a "postcode lottery" for allergy safeguards in schools across the UK.
In a poignant act of advocacy, Benedict's young sister, Etta, was part of a group of children who delivered a petition with 13,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street in August, calling for the law's enactment. The inquest jury identified multiple systemic failures, including:
- Opportunities for cross-contamination of milk.
- Benedict's allergy plan not being properly shared with all teaching staff.
- A late identification of his symptoms and subsequent treatment delays.
The combined failures of the school's procedures on the day and the police's investigation afterwards have left a family grieving and demanding nationwide change to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.
