Probe into death of Huddersfield tot ‘attacked by dad’ at HRI

Nov 30 2009 by Sam Casey, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

MURDER squad detectives are investigating the death of a baby who was allegedly attacked by his father at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team (HMET) are examining the case of Corinthian Kemp, who suffered severe brain damage in August 2007, when he was just five days old.

The Examiner reported on the case in July of this year, after Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board published the findings of an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

At the time the board criticised health and social workers who failed to protect Corinthian.

But that inquiry was carried out while the youngster, who has now been named for the first time, was still alive.

It has now been revealed he died, aged two, in August – the month after the board’s findings were published.

Police have confirmed they are investigating, but said they had yet to decide if charges would be brought over his death.

A police spokesman said: “We are currently awaiting a pathologist’s report.

“The cause of death has not yet been ascertained and investigations are ongoing.”

As reported in July, the safeguarding children board launched its inquiry after Corinthian – whose name was not revealed at the time for legal reasons – was left suffering from cerebral palsy, blindness and epilepsy as a result of an attack at HRI.

The subsequent report criticised Kirklees social workers for not protecting him from his parents, who were believed to be drug users with mental health problems.

The review panel said the decision not to move him from the infirmary was “flawed” because officials assumed he would receive “a level of supervision that in truth did not exist”.