Jasmine Forrester: Lessons will be learned from 'bright' and 'happy' 11-year-old's killing
Care professionals in Wolverhampton say they will learn how they can better support children in the city – after a serious case review was published into the death of 11-year-old manslaughter victim Jasmine Forrester.
Tragic Jasmine was a bright, happy child who wanted to be a doctor, and was well on track to making her dream a reality, the case report revealed.
The Wolverhampton youngster had received a 97 per cent pass rate on her practice SATs in the weeks before her horrific death.
She was killed in February 2018 after her mentally ill great-uncle Delroy Forrester bludgeoned her to death with a chair leg – he was found guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility and ordered to be detained indefinitely in a secure hospital.
The serious case review, published today by Wolverhampton Safeguarding Children Board, sets about to determine what lessons could be learned about the way professionals work together to safeguard children in the city.
It resolved that agencies needed to work together closely to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
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Jasmine lived in Wolverhampton with her great aunt and would also spend time at the home of her great-great grandmother on the occasions when her great aunt worked shifts. She was at the home of her great-great grandmother when she died.
The report stated that her great-uncle, Forrester, age 51, had no history of mental ill health, although in the days leading up to Jasmine's death his family became increasingly concerned about his state of mind – and had made three attempts to get him help.
The day before Jasmine's death, Forrester's younger daughter rang 111 with concerns about his mental health.
The report says: "She explained that her father was not aware she was contacting them, but expressed concerns about his mental health. She described him as not eating or sleeping for the past three to four days and as agitated, hearing voices, and she was very worried."
It added that the mental health trust have identified staff need to ensure information gained during telephone calls needs to be more thorough to ensure the appropriate advice is given.
What does the report say?
In the report Jasmine is described as 'self-assured', 'confident', and 'bright', and appeared happy at home and school.
It reads: "She was secure within her family. Child K [as Jasmine is called known in the report] had ambitions to be a doctor and had the potential to achieve this goal. She had completed her practice SATs prior to her death with a pass rate of 97 per cent.
"The school had no concerns and stated that both Child K and her uniform were clean and that she was happy and thriving."
Concluding the report, the safeguarding board has resolved to look for information on the out-of-hours pathway for people not known to the mental health service.
Bosses will also be working closely with partner agencies to make sure that what is learnt from the case is widespread.
Linda Sanders, independent chairman of Wolverhampton Safeguarding Children Board, said: "This was a tragic case in which a happy, self-assured and confident young girl had her life cruelly and violently taken away from her.
"Members of her family who we spoke to as part of this review clearly loved her very much and have been left completely devastated by what happened.
"Ultimately, there is only one person who is responsible for Child K's death, and he has been detained indefinitely for her manslaughter. However, professionals involved in the care of children always want to know what they can do better and through this Serious Case Review we have looked to see what, if anything, could have been done differently.
“The review highlights a number of areas of good practice, including the excellent care and support given to Child K during her time at school and the ongoing support being provided to her siblings since her tragic death.
"It also identifies a number of learning points for individual agencies, in particular that, when support and advice is sought about an adult’s mental health, questions should be asked about the wider situation and family circumstances.
“Recommendations have been made which will ensure that the required actions are taken and a number of changes to procedures have or are being implemented, for example by NHS 111 and the Black Country Partnership Foundation Trust.
"As the Safeguarding Children Board, we will also be seeking assurances from agencies that they disseminate widely the learning from this review and information about the out-of-hours pathway for people not known to mental health services, and are also looking at how professionals can be better encouraged to take ownership and dig deeper into situations they are aware of.
“While none of this will sadly bring this young girl back, it will help reduce the likelihood of such a tragedy ever happening again. I hope this will bring some small comfort to Child K’s family and indeed everyone who knew and loved her.”
