Grandma: Why didn’t they let us keep Elsie?
Family’s fury over decision to give toddler to killer and his husband
baby Elsie Scully-Hicks would still be alive had she not fallen under the care of social services, her family claimed last night.
Elsie, 18 months, was murdered by her adoptive father following months of abuse.
In an emotional statement, her birth family revealed their anguish at having her taken from her mother at five days old.
She was later given to Matthew Scully-Hicks and his husband Craig. Over the next seven months, Scully-Hicks subjected her to horrific assaults before murdering Elsie by shaking her and cracking her skull on a hard floor or wall.
Last night Elsie’s biological grandmother Sian O’brien said her family had been left devastated and accused social workers of failing to spot signs of abuse before it was too late.
‘We are numb with pain and hurt... had she not been taken away from us, she would still be alive today,’ said Mrs O’brien. She battled for custody of Elsie but social services told her she would not be able to cope.
The family were not told she had died until eight months after the murder. Mrs O’brien said: ‘a person who had been deemed by the authorities to be a fit and proper person to bring up my granddaughter was responsible for her death, and they took her from me telling me I would be unable to cope.’
as Scully-Hicks was jailed for life with a minimum of 18 years yesterday, a whistleblower came forward to the Daily Mail to reveal devastating new evidence of failings, including how:
Social workers repeatedly visited ScullyHicks’ home while Elsie had injuries, including a broken leg, but an official log shows ‘no concerns’ were recorded on four occasions;
Child protection workers were allegedly never alerted to the injuries, which could have halted her adoption;
Vale of Glamorgan Council was allegedly dealing with a huge turnover of staff;
Elsie was taken to her GP with vomiting on ‘numerous’ occasion in the two months before she was killed in May 2016.
Politicians accused social workers of missing crucial warning signs and said the council had questions to answer.
The judge at Cardiff Crown Court, Mrs Justice Nicola Davies, said medical staff missed an opportunity to spot the abuse. Fitness instructor Scully-Hicks, 31, showed no emotion as he was jailed. Mrs Justice Davies told him: ‘ In deliberately inflicting serious injuries... you abused the trust which had been placed in you as Elsie’s adoptive father.
‘your actions in killing Elsie have devastated three families – the birth family of Elsie, the family you had sought to build with [husband] Craig Scully-Hicks and your own birth family. you knew that... your frustration and anger towards Elsie had resulted in injuries to her.
To no one, not even your husband, did you have the courage to speak. you put your own self-interest before that of the young child you had been entrusted to pro- tect.’ Mrs O’brien had battled for legal guardianship of Elsie, born Shayla O’brien to drug addict Gemma O’brien in November 2014. However, the baby was immediately placed in the care of Vale of Glamorgan Council.
In a victim impact statement for the court, she said: ‘I accept that at the time of giving birth my daughter was living a chaotic lifestyle and was not in a position to care for Shayla. as a family, we continued to have contact with Shayla whilst she was in the care of the foster family. In January 2015, I started proceedings in the family court to become the legal guardian for Shayla.
‘I wanted to bring her up in a happy, healthy and warm family environment. That was all taken away from me when social services and the family court decided I would not be able to cope.
‘Despite this... we were still able to have weekly contact with her. In august 2015, out of nowhere, we were told by social services that we had to go and see Shayla as soon as possible and say goodbye for the final time as a suitable adoptive family had been found. This was completely devastating.’
The family were not told that Elsie had died until January this year. Mrs O’brien said: ‘In itself this was devastating news. but to then be informed that one of the parents who had adopted her had been charged with murder, and was allegedly responsible for her death, was incomprehensible. a
‘This case raises serious questions’
person who had been deemed by the authorities to be a fit and proper person to bring up my granddaughter was responsible for her death, and they took her from me telling me I would be unable to cope.’
a Child Practice Review was announced into the circumstances of Elsie’s death yesterday. It will look at whether any opportunities to save Elsie were missed but could take a year to complete.
Last night andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said last night: ‘There are very serious questions to answer in relation to this case, and the tragic death of a beautiful young girl who should have been protected. We need to better understand how these warning signs were missed.’
Tory former justice minister Shailesh Vara said: ‘This is a very tragic case but sadly yet another failure by the authorities.
‘If the proper procedures and checks had been followed then this wouldn’t have happened.’
Vale of Glamorgan Council said only that an independent review had been commissioned ‘and it would be inappropriate to comment further’.