There were missed opportunities to protect a baby girl who was murdered by her father two weeks after he formally adopted her, a review has found. Matthew Scully-Hicks, 32, passed the rigorous adoption process with flying colours and professionals viewed his care of 18-month-old Elsie Scully-Hicks through a "positive lens".…

The Home Office's handling of more than 1,000 lone child refugees living in the Calais "Jungle" when it was dismantled has been branded a "shocking denial of children's rights". In a ruling on Tuesday, Court of Appeal judges said children who were refused entry to the UK from the makeshift…

Child protection measures in Scottish football are "not fit for purpose", according to a review into allegations of the sexual abuse of youngsters within the sport. An independent report branded policies "inadequate" and called for a "significant and serious sea-change" in the culture of Scottish football to reduce the risk…

UK ministers are being urged to provide "more generous" assistance for Syrian refugees in England after researchers found those who had been resettled in Scotland were better supported and happier. Experts from Glasgow University compared the treatment of Syrian refugees aged between 18 and 32 in the Lebanon, Greece and…

Church intentions to discipline bishop Peter Ball "fizzled out" because officials thought he was a "sick man" who was going to retire, former archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has said. The peer later admitted the Church of England could have been much firmer in ensuring the "manipulative" bishop stayed away…

The Prince of Wales will tell a child sexual abuse inquiry he was "deceived" by disgraced bishop Peter Ball - and that he was unaware of the true nature of the clergyman's behaviour until more than 20 years after allegations first surfaced. A written statement from Charles will be read…

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has been fined £200,000 after sending a bulk email that identified possible victims of child sexual abuse. Vulnerable people were placed at risk owing to the error, after the email was sent to 90 inquiry participants on February 27 last year, the…

The Home Office had opportunities to question the response of the police and other agencies to reports of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham years before the scandal erupted in the town, according to a newly published review. An investigation into what information had been passed to the Home Office, published…

A toddler who suffered wrist fractures probably had her arm pulled or twisted, a specialist has told a family court judge. The little girl also suffered a rib fracture consistent with a "shaking episode", Judge Kate Purkiss heard. The judge concluded that the youngster's injuries were "inflicted" and "non-accidental". But…

More than 43,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Home Office not to deport two teenage brothers from Scotland. Areeb Umeed Bakhsh (left), 13, and his brother Somer (right), 15, fear Islamic extremists will kill them if they return to Pakistan. The brothers have lived in Glasgow since…

The Supreme Court is to hear a landmark case which could have an impact on the rights of thousands of abuse victims. It concerns two people, known as CN and GN, who allege that, between 2006 and 2011, Poole Borough Council did not do enough to protect them as children…

A major new report highlighting how social care has become a postcode lottery for children across the UK has been published following research conducted by the University of Sheffield. The Sheffield study, led by Professor Kate Morris from the University’s Department of Sociological Studies, explores the relationship between poverty, care…