Lost Innocents A Follow-up Study of Fatal Child Abuse

"Lost Innocents" is an essential follow-up and companion to "Beyond Blame: Child Abuse Tragedies Revisited" (1993), which reported a re-analysis of the cases at the center of 35 public inquiries into fatal child abuse, with the intention of discovering whether additional lessons could be learned from the tragedies which would be used to improve child protection practice. In "Lost Innocents," the same process of case analysis used in "Beyond Blame" is applied to a more representative sample of cases in order to elicit further practice lessons. Reviewing the knowledge about fatal child abuse, Peter Reder and Sylvia Duncan describe the theoretical basis and method of the study and its findings, before going on to discuss their practical implications and their views about the case review process itself. Finally, the authors discuss whether child abuse fatalities can be predicted or prevented.

Lost Innocents is a follow-up to Beyond Blame: Child Abuse Tragedies Revisited (1993). In their new book, Peter Reder and Sylvia Duncan use the same process of case analysis and apply it to a more representative sample of cases. They describe the theoretical basis and method of the study and its findings, before going on to discuss their practical implications, and their opinions about the case review process itself. Finally, the authors discuss whether child abuse fatalities can be predicted or prevented.

Introduction. The Cases. Mental Health Problems. Unresolved Conflicts. Assessments. The Review Process. Prevention. Facilitating Good Practice.

Peter Reder is Consultant Child Psychiatrist in the Wolverton Gardens Child and Family Consultation Centre, part of the Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham Mental Health Trust in west London., Sylvia Duncan is Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Baker and Duncan Family Consultancy, Ashwood Centre, Woking, Surrey.