Victoria Climbie memorial event tomorrow (From Haringey Independent)

Victoria Climbie memorial event tomorrow

10:00am Wednesday 24th February 2010 in News By Rebecca Lowe

A MEMORIAL event to mark the ten-year anniversary of the murder of Victoria Climbié will take place at Westminster tomorrow.

Eight-year-old Victoria died in Tottenham on February 25, 2000, after suffering months of horrific abuse at the hands of her great aunt and her boyfriend.

The youngster, like Baby Peter, had been seen by dozens of social workers, nurses, doctors and police officers, all of whom failed to stop the abuse.

Her death led to a huge public inquiry and calls for changes in the way local authorities deal with child abuse.

The Victoria Climbie Foundation (VCF), formed by the girl's parents to campaign for improvements in child protection, has organised tomorrow's event.

The Foundation has said it will be the final memorial to Victoria, but stressed the organisation would continue working to help other children facing mistreatment and neglect.

Mor Dioum, VCF director, said: “Victoria’s death demanded root and branch changes to the child protection system.

"Ten years on, we’ve seen significant changes in policies and practice that have radically re‐shaped child protection in this country.

"On this landmark anniversary, we continue to remember Victoria. However, the time has come to move beyond a memorial and truly put her legacy into practice.

"We intend to continue to be a campaigning voice to make the safeguarding of children a priority.”

VCF is planning a rolling programme of activities and events throughout 2010 under the theme "The Way Forward", which aim to at bridge the gap between healthcare and children’s social care.

The organisation has led calls since May 2008 for a review of the child protection system and its implementation of reforms.

Last year it opened a 360-pupil school in Victoria's family's hometown Abobo, a suburb of the Ivory Coast capital Abidjan.

Victoria's guardians, Marie-Thérèse Kouao, 53, and Carl Manning, 37, were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment on January 12, 2001.