March 30th 2024.
These heartbreaking photos reveal the unsanitary and deplorable living conditions that poor little Finley Boden was subjected to before he was brutally killed by his own parents, who were struggling with drug addiction. It's hard to believe that such a young and innocent soul had to endure 130 terrible injuries before passing away at just 10 months old on Christmas Day in 2020, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
What makes this tragedy even more devastating is the fact that Finley had been returned to the custody of his parents, Stephen Boden and Shannon Marsden, just 39 days prior by a family court, despite concerns from social services about their drug use and the condition of their home. And as these disturbing photos show, those concerns were not unfounded. Mould growing on baby bottles, cigarette butts scattered around the bedroom, and piles of dirty dishes in the kitchen are just a few of the shocking images that give us a glimpse into the chaotic and unhealthy environment that Finley was forced to live in.
In one photo, we can see a bottle of Calpol sitting on a bedside cabinet surrounded by cigarette butts, ash, and empty energy drink cans. Another photo taken in the bedroom shows mould growing on the curtains, a baby bottle filled with spoiled milk, and bowls of half-eaten food scattered on the floor. And in the bathroom, police found two bin bags full of cannabis and a bloodstained babygrow in the tub, along with other clutter and junk.
It's hard to fathom how a child could be placed back into the care of parents who were not only struggling with drug addiction but also capable of committing such horrific acts of abuse. But that's exactly what happened to Finley. Despite all the warning signs and red flags, he was returned to his parents' care just months before they took his life.
The failures and oversights of social workers and other professionals involved in Finley's case were recently exposed in a damning review. The report highlighted numerous missed opportunities to protect Finley and revealed that social workers had not visited him for six weeks while one of them was off sick. When she returned to work, she didn't even see Finley because his parents were verbally abusive. And when he was eventually returned to their care, social workers only attempted four out of six planned visits, and on one of those visits, there was no response from the family.
Even during a visit on Christmas Eve, just one day before Finley's death, social services failed to show up. And during a family court hearing, where the council requested a four-month period to gradually return Finley to his parents, the magistrates sided with the parents' guardian, who was employed by the court, and reduced the time to just six to eight weeks.
While Finley's parents are ultimately responsible for his death, it's clear that the system failed him. The report acknowledged that there were mitigating circumstances, such as the COVID-19 lockdowns and parental dishonesty, but it also stated that more could and should have been done to keep Finley safe. His parents were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for his murder, but that does little to ease the pain and loss of this innocent child's life.
As we continue to mourn the loss of Finley, we must also recognize the need for improvements in our child protection systems. This tragic event should serve as a wake-up call for all of us to do better and ensure that no child falls through the cracks like Finley did. Our hearts go out to all those who knew and loved Finley, and we can only hope that his story will bring about positive changes in the way we protect our most vulnerable children.
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