Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report
April 2001 The “Victoria Climbie” inquiry began; the inquiry reviewed what went wrong and why systems failed to prevent the death of this innocent young girl.
On February 25 2000 Victoria Climbie was declared dead after months of abuse and neglect, the torture of which she was subjected to was what many described as “the worst abuse of a child they had ever seen.” The torture included starvation, cigarette burns, repeated beatings with a bike chain and hammer blows to her toes. When Victoria was declared dead London doctors believed that the little African girl they had declared was actually named Anna.
Victoria was born November 2 1991 in the small African village of “Abobo” located in the Ivory Coast. Victoria’s parents Francis Climbie and Berthe Amoissi wanted the very best for their daughter but their country was being torn apart by civil war and poverty. So when, just before Victoria’s seventh birthday, her then 42 year old great aunt Marie-Therese offered to take her back to France with her, it seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime for Victoria.
Unknown to Victoria’s parents, Marie-Therese only wanted Victoria to help her access and claim better state benefits. Before Victoria even arrived in France Marie-Therese had already prepared a false passport in the name of her “daughter” Anna. However the family of her intended target “Anna” would not let her go, so it was easier for Marie-Therese to recruit another child of a different name than change the passport. This is the reason Victoria became “Anna.”
It takes Marie-Therese and her boyfriend only 18 months to kill “Anna.”
Marie-Therese first takes Victoria to Paris, where she used Victoria to access child benefits. Here Marie-Therese is required to send her “daughter” to school, however Victoria only attends school half the time. By now Marie-Therese has started to abuse Victoria. The authorities in Paris threaten to take action because of Victoria’s non-attendance at school, so after 5 months
On February 25 2000 Victoria Climbie was declared dead after months of abuse and neglect, the torture of which she was subjected to was what many described as “the worst abuse of a child they had ever seen.” The torture included starvation, cigarette burns, repeated beatings with a bike chain and hammer blows to her toes. When Victoria was declared dead London doctors believed that the little African girl they had declared was actually named Anna.
Victoria was born November 2 1991 in the small African village of “Abobo” located in the Ivory Coast. Victoria’s parents Francis Climbie and Berthe Amoissi wanted the very best for their daughter but their country was being torn apart by civil war and poverty. So when, just before Victoria’s seventh birthday, her then 42 year old great aunt Marie-Therese offered to take her back to France with her, it seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime for Victoria.
Unknown to Victoria’s parents, Marie-Therese only wanted Victoria to help her access and claim better state benefits. Before Victoria even arrived in France Marie-Therese had already prepared a false passport in the name of her “daughter” Anna. However the family of her intended target “Anna” would not let her go, so it was easier for Marie-Therese to recruit another child of a different name than change the passport. This is the reason Victoria became “Anna.”
It takes Marie-Therese and her boyfriend only 18 months to kill “Anna.”
Marie-Therese first takes Victoria to Paris, where she used Victoria to access child benefits. Here Marie-Therese is required to send her “daughter” to school, however Victoria only attends school half the time. By now Marie-Therese has started to abuse Victoria. The authorities in Paris threaten to take action because of Victoria’s non-attendance at school, so after 5 months