A senior MP said yesterday that thousands of ghost children are now at risk from abuse because they have not returned to school after the lockdowns.
Robert Halfon (chairman of the Commons education Committee) stated that 100,000 children were ‘lost’ in the system and so vulnerable to domestic cruelty.
Nadhim Zhawi Education Secretary confirmed the launch of an investigation into failures that led to Arthur LabinjoHughes’ death, aged six.
Emma Tustin (the boy’s stepmother) was sentenced to at least 29-years for the murder. Thomas Hughes received 21-years for manslaughter.
Robert Halfon, an MP senior warned yesterday that thousands upon thousands of ghost children are now at risk from abuse because they have failed to return to school after the lockdowns. Above: Six-year-old Arthur Labinjo Hughes was murdered
Court heard that Arthur had been seen by social workers in the initial national lockdown, just two months prior to his death at Solihull (West Midlands), in June 2013. The social workers concluded that Arthur had no safeguarding issues and closed his file.
Yesterday, Mr Halfon spoke to MPs: “There are 100,000, what I call ghost children. They are people who are lost in this system, have not returned to school for most of the time and are vulnerable to safeguarding hazards and county lines gangs. Online harm, and horrific domestic abuse are all possible.
Halfon asked Zahawi to make an effort to cooperate with local authorities and schools, and to collaborate with regional commissioners and school boards to ensure that the 100,000 students who have not been in school for a long time are enrolled back into school.
M. Zahawi responded, “It’s a concern and it’s a focal point for my department.”
Yesterday, Mr Halfon spoke to MPs: “There are 100,000, what I call ghost children. They are lost in system, haven’t returned to school most of the time and are vulnerable to safeguarding hazards and county lines gangs. Online harm, and horrific domestic abuse are all possible.