Head of NSPCC apologises for Climbie mistakes

The head of the NSPCC child protection charity issued an apology yesterday for failing to save Victoria Climbie from the carers who starved and tortured her to death.

Mary Marsh, chief executive of the charity, told a public inquiry into events surrounding the murder that she greatly regretted the charity's mistakes.

"I'm very sorry that we let Victoria down. It is clear that we had an opportunity to help Victoria. It is profoundly to my regret that we did not act in a timely, adequate and appropriate way. I know that an apology can never be enough but I am very sorry," Ms Marsh said.

Sir John Stevens, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, also issued an apology to Victoria's parents yesterday over the failure of child protection officers to make basic inquiries into her case.

Staff from an NSPCC support centre in Tottenham, north London, failed to act when Victoria's case was referred to them in August 1999 because they were planning a party. Despite the files being marked urgent, the inquiry has heard that NSPCC officers did not see the eight-year-old girl before she died in hospital nearly seven months later.

Ms Marsh said that demands on the centre, which closed one month after Victoria died, meant that delays were frequent, phone calls regularly went undocumented and follow-ups with social services were not made.

But she denied that NSPCC staff doctored Victoria's case file to try to cover up the fact that nothing was done. Photocopied versions first handed to the inquiry said the case was "ongoing" but the originals were marked "no further action". Addressing Lord Laming, the inquiry chairman, she said: "Can I state, sir, that at no time did the NSPCC attempt to alter records nor to deceive the inquiry in any way."

The inquiry has been told that at least 12 chances to rescue Victoria were missed.

Yesterday Carole Baptiste, a social work manager in charge of Victoria's case at Haringey council, issued a statement in which she distanced herself from blame. While she "deeply regretted" any contribution she made to Victoria's death, she insisted that no one could be held directly responsible apart from the convicted killers.

Victoria's great aunt, Marie Therese Kouao, and Kouao's lover, Carl Manning, are serving life for murder.