Ethan's Law 'would mean everything'
Two-year-old Ethan-Ives Griffiths was murdered in North Wales
The paternal aunt of a toddler who was murdered by his grandparents in North Wales says the best way they can honour him is by making sure this never happens to another child.
Two-year-old Ethan-Ives Griffiths died in August 2021 as a result of a catastrophic head injury following weeks of abuse and neglect from Michael Ives and Kerry Ives.
Ethan was severely malnourished and covered in bruises.
During their trial, it emerged that Ethan was only seen once by a health professional or social worker in the 41 days before his death.
That's despite being known to social services. He was placed on the child protection register, meaning he was supposed to be seen every ten days.
A social worker arrived on 5 August 2021 but was turned away at the door because they were told Ethan was asleep and the household was isolating due to Covid.
In the days before his death, a social worker tried to visit again but no-one answered, with another scheduled appointment cancelled.
Rebecca Shone is calling for Ethan's Law, which would:
- Escalate a social worker visit to the police for a welfare check if they are refused entry
- If that step isn't taken, for social workers to be held accountable for failing to follow protocol
- Increase frequency of checks for children on the child protection register from every ten days to every five to seven days
- For checks by a health professional every four to six weeks for children not on the child protection register, but who are known to services
Ms Shone said:
"If those reviews aren't done, they should be visited within 48 hours again. Failure to do so needs to result in warrants being issued, parents and carers being fined and health professionals being disciplined.
"It would mean everything to be able to say that we and Ethan have been able to, some extent, protect children and stop abuse happening to them and they can have a safe haven.
"It should never have happened"
"He (Ethan) was failed hugely and it should never have happened.
"There's been a lot of incidents where children have died at the hands of their own family and it's too much, it shouldn't be happening, and someone needs to do something to stop it and I'm happy to be that person.
"Ethan can be the reason that all these children are protected"
"It is for all the kids that are suffering and it's nice to be able put this in Ethan's name, in his memory.
"Ethan deserves to know that the world sees what happened to him, that he mattered, and that he is a voice and will never be forgotten and Ethan can be the reason that all these children are protected."
A petition calling for Ethan's Law has so far been signed more than 33,000 times.
Flintshire Council said in a statement, following the court verdicts, that an independent multi-agency review is being held by the North Wales Safeguarding Board into Ethan's case, with independent reviewers set to produce a report identifying their findings and recommendations.