A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded when two-year-old Mazeedat Adeoye drowned in a garden bin after her mother, Balikis Adeoye, struggled to secure foster care for her daughter.
Despite repeated pleas for help from Newham Council, the toddler’s death in January 2022 became the focal point of a critical inquest.
Mazeedat fell into a bin filled with just nine centimeters of water while playing alone in a garden, leading to her tragic death.
A Mother’s Plea for Help
Balikis, who had moved to the UK from Nigeria in 2021, had no family support network in the country and was relying on the council to assist her.
She had reached out to Newham Council multiple times, requesting a foster placement for Mazeedat while she cared for her three-month-old son, who needed heart surgery.
However, the council failed to act on her requests.
Social workers advised her to find support from the community or friends, an option that proved unfeasible for a mother with limited resources.
Left with no other choice, Balikis had to leave her daughter with an acquaintance when she went to the hospital, a decision she would later regret.
The Inquest’s Findings
The inquest revealed that the council’s failure to arrange proper care for Mazeedat amounted to a “gross failure” in supervision.
Coroner Graeme Irvine found that had a foster placement been arranged, Mazeedat’s death might have been prevented.
The coroner also highlighted a “culture of hostility” within Newham Council’s No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) team, which treated families like Balikis harshly.
Irvine’s conclusion underscored the missed opportunity to provide the necessary care for Mazeedat, which could have spared the family such immense pain.
Mazeedat’s Death: A Missed Opportunity for Help
When Balikis went to the hospital with her son on January 25, 2022, she had to leave Mazeedat with people she didn’t fully trust.
Just four days later, on January 29, Mazeedat was found dead.
Paramedics attempted to resuscitate her, but the toddler was pronounced dead shortly after reaching the hospital.
The cause of death was determined to be drowning.
Balikis, devastated by her loss, expressed her disbelief and sorrow, stating that her daughter’s death was the result of a lack of proper care, despite her desperate requests for help.
The Struggles of a Mother Seeking Help
Balikis’s emotional testimony in the inquest painted a picture of a mother who had done everything in her power to care for her children.
With no financial support or family to lean on, she found herself fighting against a system that failed her.
Her daughter’s death is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by families with no recourse to public funds and how the lack of adequate social support can have tragic consequences.
Legal and Social Implications
Legal experts, including Juliet Spender, expressed their concerns about how Mazeedat’s case reflects the barriers families face in accessing social care.
Despite the availability of potential foster care, Newham Council failed to provide the necessary support, leaving Balikis with no other choice than to place her daughter in the care of individuals she did not trust.
The inquest and the subsequent findings have called for a systemic change to ensure such a tragedy is never repeated.
Moving Forward: A Call for Change
Following the inquest, Balikis has shown remarkable courage in speaking out, hoping her story will lead to meaningful changes in how social services care for vulnerable families.
She continues to grieve the loss of her “beautiful and happy” daughter, but she hopes that by sharing her experience, other families won’t have to endure the same heartbreak.
Newham Council has pledged to carefully review the inquest’s findings and make necessary improvements to their services.
The steps they take in the coming months will be critical in preventing further tragedies.
This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn