Police officers face dismissal over Climbie inquiry

Six officers from the Metropolitan Police are to face charges of misconduct over the death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has announced.

Victoria died in 2002 following a sustained period of abuse at the hands of her family, in an ordeal which involved repeated beatings and gross neglect. Her great aunt, Marie Therese Kouao, and Kouao's partner, Carl Manning, were convicted of Victoria's murder in 2003.

One police constable, three police sergeants, a detective inspector and a detective chief inspector will now face an internal Met tribunal, where they could be dismissed if found guilty of misconduct.

Several other officers face disciplinary action on lesser charges, the outcome of which will also be decided by the Metropolitan police authority.

The charges follow from an inquiry carried out by the Metropolitan Police Directorate of Professional Standards, under the supervision of the IPCC (formerly the Police Complaints Authority). However, today's charges have been described as a 'belated' response to the findings of a report published in January 2003, which stated that child protection police officers and social workers repeatedly failed to protect Victoria Climbie.

A date for the tribunal has yet to be set.

(CL)