The horrific Edlington case shows the normal form of Britain’s social-care secrecy reversed. If ever a system needed reform and proper police investigation, this is it.

Those familiar with George Orwell’s novel 1984 will recall the Ministry names in his future-horror. All were the cynical opposite of reality – the Ministry of Truth, for example, where the hero Winston Smith worked at slipping lies into history in order to rearrange the past.
Most towns now have a Safeguarding Children Board (SCB). Their job much of the time is to safeguard the reputation of social workers who screw up. In this endeavour, they are knowingly assisted by the Family Courts which, in turn, protect their own kind.
Both can, effectively, refuse to release information to anyone from the Monarch downwards. (See the nby archive for more background under ‘The Care Home Files’)

Last year, the Slogger was prevented from revealing…