Police and social services missed multiple opportunities to save 9-year-old schoolboy Alfie Steele before he was beaten and killed by his mother and her partner
When little Alfie Steele was murdered in 2021 it sent shivers down spines – especially after hearing there were multiple occasions where social services could have stepped in and saved the poor boy’s life.
At the time of his death, Alfie had suffered years of abuse and had more than 50 injuries on his body. But while more than 60 calls were made to professionals by people who were concerned about the nine-year-old schoolboy’s welfare, signs were still missed to save him from the horrors he was facing at home.
Alfie Steele was found unresponsive at his home in Droitwich, Worcestershire, in 2021, after ‘sadistic’ punishments by his mother Carla Scott and her Partner Dirk Howell, 41. Carla Scott, was convicted of his manslaughter in June 2023, while her partner Dirk Howell, 41, was found guilty of murder.
At their sentencing at Coventry Crown Court, in June 2023 Howell was jailed for life with a minimum of 32 years, while Carla Scott was given 27 years with a minimum 17-year term.
The pair were found guilty of beating Alfie and holding his head under bath water before he died. But his life could have been saved if it wasn’t for a catalogue of missed opportunities.
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Alfie’s grandfather, Paul Scott, said hearing there were 64 referrals to the authorities from people concerned about the welfare of his grandson left him feeling very angry because there were countless opportunities to intervene.
“It just makes me want to cry the amount of time it shows in here that Alfie didn’t have to die,” he said. “Every single one of them times is a time they could have stopped my grandson from dying. That’s not just a number to me.”
Mr Scott was one of the people who reported his daughter’s partner to the authorities as he was worried about Alfie’s life at home. “We reported Howell again and again to social services and nothing was done,” he said. “Nobody joined the dots; so many chances were missed. They know they let Alfie down.”
“We used to report bruises, we reported the little things, the niggles. We were just dismissed,” added his wife Alaina.
The Worcestershire Safeguarding Children’s Partnership report said a number of agency professionals were involved with the family but their investigations were hampered by two adults who were deliberately covering up what was happening to the little boy.
Meanwhile, West Mercia Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Jones said an initial review into the force’s involvement with the family had resulted in “enhanced training” for officers and staff “to ensure they fully understand the signs of vulnerability, that they are professionally curious and don’t take information on face value.”
The force referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over its involvement.
An IOPC spokesperson said: “We are looking at the force’s response to concerns about Alfie’s welfare and we have so far examined a large number of documents including police logs, witness statements and relevant policies, along with body worn video.”
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