This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/23/husband-of-tania-clarence-rejects-report-into-childrens-deaths
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Husband of Tania Clarence rejects report into children's deaths | Husband of Tania Clarence rejects report into children's deaths |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The father of three seriously ill young children smothered to death by their mother has rejected the findings of an official report into their deaths. | |
| Tania Clarence, 44, has been detained in a psychiatric hospital since last November after admitting the manslaughter by diminished responsibility of Olivia, four, and three-year-old twins Ben and Max at the family’s home in New Malden, south London. | |
| Related: Tania Clarence case review says officials failed to act on concerns | Related: Tania Clarence case review says officials failed to act on concerns |
| A serious case review launched by Kingston council has concluded the children’s deaths could not have been predicted or prevented. But it said professionals working with the family failed to act on concerns that the children were being neglected and at times emotionally abused. | A serious case review launched by Kingston council has concluded the children’s deaths could not have been predicted or prevented. But it said professionals working with the family failed to act on concerns that the children were being neglected and at times emotionally abused. |
| In a statement issued after the publication of the report, the children’s father, Gary Clarence, 45, denied that the children were neglected and said the recommendations fell short of the measures required to stop a similar case happening again. | In a statement issued after the publication of the report, the children’s father, Gary Clarence, 45, denied that the children were neglected and said the recommendations fell short of the measures required to stop a similar case happening again. |
| In a separate statement, he said on Monday: “My wife Tania dedicated her life to loving and caring for our children and she always put their wellbeing before her own. The overwhelming responsibilities of this care took its toll on Tania and led to feelings of despair and hopelessness, culminating in severe depression at the time of the incident. | |
| “Tania’s depression was certainly not helped by the constant pressure placed on the family by some aspects of the medical profession and social services who could not agree with our stance of prioritising quality of life for our children over medical operations and interventions that we felt were not always appropriate in the circumstances, or in our children’s best interests. | “Tania’s depression was certainly not helped by the constant pressure placed on the family by some aspects of the medical profession and social services who could not agree with our stance of prioritising quality of life for our children over medical operations and interventions that we felt were not always appropriate in the circumstances, or in our children’s best interests. |
| “Today’s independent report highlights only some of the conflicts and complexities my wife and I have faced over the last three years in trying to deal with over 80 different medical professionals and social workers involved at different times in making decisions about what was in the best interests of our children and us trying to balance their medical needs with our desire to provide them with as loving and as normal life as possible.” | |
| Olivia, Ben and Max had type 2 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The rare, genetically inherited condition affects children’s physical development and activity, including moving, eating, breathing and swallowing. Although there is no cure and the condition can shorten life expectancy, with the right care people with type 2 SMA can live long, fulfilling and productive lives. | Olivia, Ben and Max had type 2 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The rare, genetically inherited condition affects children’s physical development and activity, including moving, eating, breathing and swallowing. Although there is no cure and the condition can shorten life expectancy, with the right care people with type 2 SMA can live long, fulfilling and productive lives. |
| The Clarences disagreed with doctors and other professionals over the best care for the three children, Kingston’s report said. | The Clarences disagreed with doctors and other professionals over the best care for the three children, Kingston’s report said. |
| The couple wanted their children to have a good quality of life and to experience as little pain as possible. “They characterised this as putting a priority on the quality of their children’s lives as opposed to extending the length of their lives,” it said. | |
| There were also concerns from some medics working with the family that Tania Clarence did not “consistently” act on their advice about feeding, physiotherapy and the use of aids for the children. This led to professionals meeting to discuss whether child protection thresholds had been met, but it was never agreed. | There were also concerns from some medics working with the family that Tania Clarence did not “consistently” act on their advice about feeding, physiotherapy and the use of aids for the children. This led to professionals meeting to discuss whether child protection thresholds had been met, but it was never agreed. |
| The report outlined a number of further occasions when the concerns of professionals should have led to the beginning of child protection procedures, which are supposed to be implemented as soon as there is suspicion of neglect or mistreatment, including: | The report outlined a number of further occasions when the concerns of professionals should have led to the beginning of child protection procedures, which are supposed to be implemented as soon as there is suspicion of neglect or mistreatment, including: |
| • In February 2013 when a comment by Tania Clarence at Great Ormond Street hospital that she wouldn’t be around to see Olivia attend university led staff to question whether she intended to commit suicide. | • In February 2013 when a comment by Tania Clarence at Great Ormond Street hospital that she wouldn’t be around to see Olivia attend university led staff to question whether she intended to commit suicide. |
| • Later that month when medics told Clarence the child would need a gastrostomy and surgical management of scoliosis she was “adamant” she and her husband wanted no further medical interventions for their daughter. | • Later that month when medics told Clarence the child would need a gastrostomy and surgical management of scoliosis she was “adamant” she and her husband wanted no further medical interventions for their daughter. |
| • The following July when Clarence turned off the alarm on Olivia’s paediatric intensive care equipment and a nurse asked for the matter to be referred to the police. | • The following July when Clarence turned off the alarm on Olivia’s paediatric intensive care equipment and a nurse asked for the matter to be referred to the police. |
| The report’s authors said the concerns of medical professionals in this period reached the threshold for legal intervention. Despite progress in relations between the parents and medics and social workers, including a written agreement, they said: “The need for a child protection inquiry should have been considered, to establish the legal basis of the various allegations made and then retracted. | The report’s authors said the concerns of medical professionals in this period reached the threshold for legal intervention. Despite progress in relations between the parents and medics and social workers, including a written agreement, they said: “The need for a child protection inquiry should have been considered, to establish the legal basis of the various allegations made and then retracted. |
| “The lack of this meant that there remained professional confusion around whether or not there was any truth in the original allegations. As a result some professionals were left with continued and heightened concerns without the means to gain an additional perspective and no opportunity to challenge this change in thinking.” | “The lack of this meant that there remained professional confusion around whether or not there was any truth in the original allegations. As a result some professionals were left with continued and heightened concerns without the means to gain an additional perspective and no opportunity to challenge this change in thinking.” |
| Concerns about the children’s health increased in the first few months of last year. The social worker dealing with the family was changed and given a new brief to reassess each child through direct communication, bypassing the parents. A child protection meeting was arranged but abandoned after the father agreed in April 2014 that Olivia, who was dangerously underweight, could have a gastrostomy to help her get more food down before she had possible spinal surgery. | |
| That same month, Tania Clarence was caring for the three children alone when she decided to take their lives. Her husband, an investment banker, had days earlier gone to South Africa, where the couple were from, to visit relatives. | That same month, Tania Clarence was caring for the three children alone when she decided to take their lives. Her husband, an investment banker, had days earlier gone to South Africa, where the couple were from, to visit relatives. |
| In the early hours of 22 April 2014 she smothered the twins, her trial heard. She hesitated before killing Olivia, but went on to smother her daughter after writing a letter to her husband informing him of her intention. | In the early hours of 22 April 2014 she smothered the twins, her trial heard. She hesitated before killing Olivia, but went on to smother her daughter after writing a letter to her husband informing him of her intention. |
| Kingston’s report found confusion over the number of agencies involved with the Clarences and which agency was leading the work. It also found that tensions between supporting the family as a whole or safeguarding the children had led to failures. Professionals had sought consensus in the case, it said, “but this became an obstacle in initiating child protection procedures”. It also accepted a change in social workers had been handled badly. | |
| The report dismissed a consideration that the family’s social status may have led professionals to take a different approach, while conceding that it may have led to them being “cautious” in initiating child protection procedures. | The report dismissed a consideration that the family’s social status may have led professionals to take a different approach, while conceding that it may have led to them being “cautious” in initiating child protection procedures. |
| Explaining the heightened caution, Edina Carmi, a social work consultant and co-author of the report, said: “It might be that the view of trying to check whether there was evidence for legal proceedings might actually have been a reaction to the fact that the father was a lawyer.” | Explaining the heightened caution, Edina Carmi, a social work consultant and co-author of the report, said: “It might be that the view of trying to check whether there was evidence for legal proceedings might actually have been a reaction to the fact that the father was a lawyer.” |