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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Cheryl McEvoy & Samantha Mordi

Tragedy of toddler found covered in lice in 'uninhabitable' flat to be probed in inquiry

An inquiry is to be held into the tragic death of a toddler who was found emaciated and covered in lice in a filthy flat in 2015.

Two-year-old Lauren Wade was so thin her shoulders and backbone were visible through her skin, the palms of her hands and feet were black and her baby teeth were decaying.

Seven years after her death, a Fatal Accident Inquiry will uncover the horrifying details that led to her being found unresponsive in a Glasgow property and dying soon afterwards, Glasgow Live reports.

Her biological mother Margaret Wade and partner of 14 years Marie Sweeney were eventually convicted of the wilful ill treatment and neglect of their daughter, and were each jailed for six years in 2019.

The two-year-old was emaciated and covered in lice (Daily Record)

A toxicology report after her death found diazepam and alcohol in her tiny body.

The hearing scheduled to take place this summer and is expected to hear from multiple witnesses involved in the case that shocked the city.

The neglect of the toddler and two other children led to a Significant Case Review looking at how the health and social care agencies dealt with Lauren and her parents.

Marie Sweeney was sentenced to six years and four months after she admitted wilfully ill-treating and neglecting her daughter (PA)
Margaret Wade was sentenced to six years and four months at the High Court in Glasgow (PA)

This later found that Wade and Sweeney were uniquely cruel and "devious" and avoided what they saw as "interference" from outside agencies such as health visitors and social workers.

It also highlighted a lack of "professional curiosity" from those charged with protecting the three year old.

The review also found that a large number of professionals dealing with the family did not push hard enough to see evidence of improvement in the family's circumstances after concerns were raised.

The flat was covered in rubbish (Daily Record)

A police officer who attended the scene on the day Lauren died described the house as "uninhabitable" with rubbish piled so high in the kitchen he couldn't get in.

The Fatal Accident Inquiry is expected to begin at at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday July 11, with preliminary hearing scheduled to take place on Friday May 6.

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