CAIRO — The death of a seven-year-old Muslim girl of starvation has shocked Britons over failure of social workers to check on the young child, reported the Daily Mail on Friday, May 23.

“The fact the social worker was not allowed into the house should have set the alarm bells ringing,” Labour MP Khalif Mahmoud said.

“There should have been a follow-up visit because no contact was made.”

Khyra Ishaq and her five sisters and brothers were found starving to death at their home in Birmingham.

The 7-year-old Khyra was breathing her last when ambulance crews tried to resuscitate her.

The other kids, aged between four and 12, were lying on mattresses severely emaciated.

The children were withdrawn from school by their mother after being bullied for wearing a Muslim dress.

The mother was said to have made arrangements for them to be taught at home where she had lived on benefits for more than a decade.

Two weeks after their withdrawal, an educational social worker went to the children’s house to check on them but got no reply.

Since then, no more visits were made.

“I’m absolutely flabbergasted by the incompetence of the council,” said MP Mahmood.

The mother, which reverted to Islam two years ago, and her partner have been charged with neglect and remanded in custody till Wednesday.

Shock

The Labour MP said that an inquiry should be launched into the failure of the Birmingham City Council to check on the girl’s conditions.

“There has been a complete breakdown of protocols and structures that should be in place.”

“Clearly, they were significant failings.”

The council said the city’s Safeguarding Children Board would meet Friday to consider the case.

The child’s tragedy has shocked many Britons.

“Why was this not prevented,” asked neighbor Harjinder Kumar.

“We should not have let this happen.”

Another neighbor stood stunned over the tragedy.

“When I heard this little girl had died I had to sit down - it was such a big shock,” the mother of a two-year-old child told the Guardian.

Renata Palczewska, the mother of Khyra’s colleague at Grove School, said she was shocked when she heard about the little girl’s death.

“The teacher was almost in tears. She was very upset.”

Source: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1209357859838&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout