Mr Francis Climbié et Madame Berthe Climbié
Abidjan le 06 Juillet 2005

Madame Beverly Hughes
Minister  for Children, Young People and Families
Sanctuary Building, Great Smith Street
Westminster, London SW1P 3BT
United Kingdom

06th July 2005

Dear Minister

We are writing to you because we have been informed by Mor Dioum about the Community Partnership Project report produced by the Metropolitan Police.

We wish to thank the Metropolitan Police for taking seriously our call for them to talk with immigrant communities about child abuse, which they did so by setting up the Community Partnership Project. Our appreciation extends to all those people who took part in this project for opening their hearts and speaking so honestly about their feelings about child abuse. We have heard of the details written in the report.  We found the information shocking and upsetting but we are grateful that people from our communities spoke openly. They have pointed to practices where some people misuse their cultures and religions to explain that child abuse is not really child abuse.

We also know of the many things people are saying about this work, of course we are horrified and find stupid that anyone could believe that all the people from our communities hurt children- this certainly is not the case. In all communities there are some people who hurt children and many more who want to love and cherish children. What has worried us is that some have called this report dangerous- how can it be dangerous to find out what people think? What is dangerous, we think, is anyone using race or anything as a reason to ignore children being hurt.  We have heard people are angry about how will Africans be thought off because of what this report says, we are very sad because our daughter’s life was stolen because professionals thought more about these things than about our child.

 This has been ground breaking work and are proud that in the memory of our daughter a first step has been taken so that other children do not suffer or are brutally killed, as was our beloved Victoria. We are sure that this work is the first step in protecting children from immigrant communities and hope that the work will continue and grow.

We call upon the Metropolitan Police not to be fearful of people pointing fingers, they must not forget the children, and so we say publish this report do not agree to keeping secrets that are bad for children. Let all our people talk about what is said in the report. Maybe some more will then learn more about child abuse and let you know if they know of a child who is being cruelly treated.  

We also call upon the Government of the UK to make sure that this work continues so that children from immigrant backgrounds are not failed again. The Victoria Climbie Foundation  was set up in the memory of our daughter and we are proud that people from our communities contact the Foundation as they do not trust and would not go to the police, social services or the big children charity. The Foundation is working to bridge that gap between our people and the British organisations so that children can be protected. We are sure that the Victoria Climbie Foundation would advice you on how best children from immigrant communities can be protected from child abuse.

We look forward to you letting us know your views on what your Government will do to protect children from immigrant backgrounds.

Mr & Mrs Climbié