Social workers ignored murdered kid

London: Social workers could have saved a toddler's life if they had not ignored clear evidence of abuse at the hands of her mother and her partner, an independent enquiry revealed on Thursday.

Sanam Navsarka had all her limbs broken and 107 visible injuries when she died after a month of physical abuse. A damning report concluded the vulnerable two-year-old was "largely invisible" to social workers involved with the wider family. A number of "professionals" were aware the toddler had been "seen with a bruise and a mark to her head, was experiencing difficulty walking" and her mother's partner, Subhan Anwar, "was believed to be hitting the child".

But these concerns were ignored as staff working with members of the extended family did not see it as their job to deal with Sanam's care. The case will add to concerns over Kirklees Council - which faced criticism over failures in the care of kidnapped schoolgirl Shannon Matthews. A review into Sanam's care in Huddersfield revealed there was "inadequate information sharing", records were not kept and procedures not followed. Anwar, 21, was jailed for life for murder at Bradford Crown Court in February and the girl's mother, Zahbeena Navsarka, 21, was jailed for nine years for manslaughter. The review concluded that although they were responsible for Sanam's death, there were "significant departures from good practice and procedures" by social workers. "Most notable of these was the failure to report concerns about the child's welfare. If those concerns had been reported, it is likely that protective measures would have been initiated that may have changed the eventual outcome."