Met to examine death of child in Lambeth Council-run home

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) found a "culture of cover-up" at Lambeth Council led to more than 700 children being abused over five decades.

One of the four recommendations made yesterday by the inquiry was that Scotland Yard should consider whether a criminal investigation should be launched into a child's death in 1977.

The boy - known as LA A2 in the report - died in the bathroom at Shirley Oaks after previously complaining of being abused by a senior member of staff.

Lambeth Town Hall

Commander Alex Murray, of the Metropolitan Police, said today after the publication of the report that investigators "will now assess" if a criminal probe will be launched and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

He said: “We have received the recommendation by IICSA namely 'the death of LA A2 whether the Met should consider whether there are grounds for a criminal investigation into Lambeth Council’s actions when providing information to the coroner about the circumstances surrounding LA A2’s death', which we will now assess.

“We encourage anyone who has been the victim of child sex abuse to come forward and speak with us.

“We welcome today’s report by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

“There are victims and families who have waited years for this, and I hope today’s publication brings some answers.”

The inquiry named three care homes under Lambeth's jurisdiction at the time - Shirley Oaks, South Vale and Angell Road - as "brutal places where violence and sexual assault were allowed to flourish".

Some 705 complaints of sexual abuse were made to the inquiry from former residents at Shirley Oaks - one of the council's biggest care homes in Croydon, where up to 350 children lived until its closure in 1983.

Commander Murray also apologised for the Met's failure to investigate certain cases over the decades-long abuse.

He added: “It is clear that at different times we missed opportunities to identify offenders and investigate further.

“Some of the treatment of children was also unacceptable. We are sorry for when we let children in the care of Lambeth down.

“As the report notes, we have changed the way we investigate allegations of child sexual abuse, with better training for officers, greater collaboration between social care partners, and putting the victim at the heart of the investigation.

“We are building a culture of professional curiosity within the Met to ensure any officer with concerns about a child acts promptly and appropriately.

“We will ensure that any learning for the Met will be taken forward.”