The head of the professional body for social work in Scotland says the Liam Fee case is an “absolute tragedy” and will be the subject of a Significant Case Review.
Liam’s mother Rachael Trelfa and her civil partner Nyomi Fee were convicted on a majority verdict of killing the toddler by repeatedly assaulting him over the course of several days in the flat they shared in Thornton in March 2014.
Social Work Scotland president Elaine Torrance said: “Liam’s death is an absolute tragedy and the level of cruelty that Liam experienced was deeply shocking.
“What makes it worse is that the abuse was carried out by the very people Liam should have been able to trust the most: his mum and his step mum.
“Cases like these are exceptional and children dying at the hands of their parents remains a rare occurrence in Scotland. Parents are the primary protectors of their children and when that relationship fails and where people go out of their way to keep agencies at arm’s length, children can be at terrible risk.
“Fife Child Protection Committee will now continue with their Significant Case Review to look at whether more could have been done to support Liam. The review will also identify any learning which may be helpful, not just in Fife, but across Scotland.”
