BRADFORD Council has accepted it "let Star down", and regrets warning signs were missed by social services in the case of Star Hobson.

A joint statement from the Bradford Partnership - Working Together to Safeguard Children (Bradford Council, Bradford District and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group, and West Yorkshire Police) said they were sorry for Star's death and that there is "much to learn" from her tragic case.

Bradford Council's leader, Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe said lessons must be learned and that Star had been "let down".

Savannah Brockhill, 28, has been found guilty of murdering Star Hobson on September 22, 2020. She was the girlfriend of Star's mother, Frankie Smith.

Smith, 20, was cleared of murder and manslaughter but found guilty of causing or allowing the death of her daughter.

Star died from catasptrophic abdominal injuries inflicted in a vicious attack last year, sustaining a severe blow or blows from a punch, kick or stamp, causing devastating, unsurviveable injuries.

Social services were contacted on five occasions by concerns family members and close friends, but no action was ever taken.

The Bradford Partnership - Working Together to Safeguard Children said: "We want to say first and foremost that we’re sorry for the death of Star.

"This was a child’s life cut cruelly short. Two people have been brought to answer for their crimes - one has been convicted of murder and one of causing or allowing the death of a child.

“Anyone who has followed the trial will want to know what more could have been done to help protect Star. As agencies who have a joint responsibility to protect children, this has been at the forefront of our minds.

"Any death of a child, wherever it happens, is one death too many, but this happened in our district, in our community and has had a devastating impact.

“We are very aware as partners that there is much that we need to learn from this case. We have already put in place actions that will improve our practice so that we learn those lessons. But we need to fully understand why opportunities to better protect Star were missed.

“We must also learn everything we can from the awful murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes. A national review has been established to enable this to happen. If we can contribute our learning to this review, we will do.

“We offered support and assistance to Star’s family for what we believed their needs to be, at that given time, but we all deeply regret that not all the warning signs were seen that could have led to firmer statutory enforcement action.

“A Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review is being written by an independent author. This is almost complete and, now the trial is concluded, the review will be finalised and published in January 2022. It will provide partners and colleagues in our district and across the country with clear recommendations so we can better protect children in our care."

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe added: “Star’s murder and the telling of how she died through the trial has been shocking and deeply upsetting.

"The photographs of her we have all seen in the press show a little girl who deserved the best in life but was subject to the worst treatment. Her murder should not extinguish the memory of her life. We remember Star’s life and our thoughts are with those who did love and care for her. 

“The verdict is out and those who caused Star’s death have been convicted - one has been convicted of murder and one of causing or allowing the death of a child.

“Star was let down and we all want to know if anything could have been done differently. The Bradford Partnership, which includes all the agencies in Bradford district involved in protecting children, has already commissioned an independent Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review to answer this question.

"Now the trial is complete, this review will be concluded and published next month. We want to make sure that Star’s case also informs the national inquiry that has been launched as a result of the shocking murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.

“Social workers in our district support a great many children and young people and carry out work in circumstances that are often very challenging. It is essential therefore that lessons are learned from Star’s terrible death so that we can better protect our children.”