UK Tragedy: 2-Year-Old Drowns After Mother Forced to Leave Her with Stranger

Child Drowns in UK After Mother Left Her with Stranger Due to Desperate Circumstances

“Before her birth, I only knew how to love myself. When she was born Mazeedat was the best thing that had...”

A desperate decision by a Nigerian mother in the UK has ended in tragedy. Her 2-year-old child drowned after being left with a stranger. Get the full story.

A tragic incident occurred on January 29, 2022, when a 2-year-old girl drowned in a garden bin. Her mother, Balikis Adeoye, a Nigerian-born woman, had entrusted her daughter's care to a stranger due to unforeseen circumstances. Adeoye's three-month-old baby was undergoing heart surgery at the hospital, and she felt compelled to be by their side, leaving her with no choice but to leave her older daughter in someone else's care.

In a heart-wrenching testimony at an inquest, Adeoye shared her devastating story, explaining that she didn't know or trust the caregivers well enough. The mother of two expressed her unbearable grief and guilt over the loss of her beautiful and happy 2-year-old daughter. Adeoye's story highlights the difficult choices parents are sometimes forced to make in times of crisis, and the tragic consequences that can occur when those choices go wrong.

Adeoye's experience serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of children, especially in situations where they are being cared for by others. The incident also underscores the need for support systems to be in place for families facing medical emergencies, to prevent such tragic events from occurring in the future.

Tragically, the 2-year-old girl was found at the property in Dagenham just a few hours after an alarm was raised. The discovery was made in a heartbreaking and devastating manner, with the little girl found unresponsive in a bin.

The bin, which was located at the property, contained approximately nine centimetres of water, highlighting the unexpected and preventable nature of the tragedy. The incident has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the child's death and the adequacy of the care she was receiving at the time.

She said: ”I struggle to find the words to describe the heartbreak I feel over Mazeedat's death.

“She was the most beautiful and happy little girl who brought sunshine to my life.

“Before her birth, I only knew how to love myself. When she was born Mazeedat was the best thing that had happened in my life.

“I'll always keep Mazeedat close to my heart and will forever cherish the short but precious years we had together.

“I just hope that by speaking out other families facing the same situation don't have to experience the same pain I will always live with.”

A heart-wrenching testimony was given at the East London Coroner's Court, where the mother of the deceased 2-year-old girl, Mazeedat, revealed that she had reached out to social services at Newham Council for assistance. However, she claimed that despite her pleas, no effort was made to find a foster parent for her daughter, leaving her with no choice but to entrust her care to a stranger.

The inquest heard that the mother had relocated to the UK from Nigeria in March 2021, seeking a better life for herself and her family. Tragically, her baby son, a British citizen, was diagnosed with a hole in his heart just six months later, in September 2021. The family's situation became increasingly dire, and the mother was referred to Newham Council four months prior to Mazeedat's death, as they were struggling to find permanent housing and were forced to live on sofas.

In a poignant testimony, the mother revealed to the inquest that she had specifically requested a foster placement for her 2-year-old daughter, Mazeedat, while she cared for her son, who was undergoing critical heart surgery in the hospital. This desperate plea for help was driven by her desire to ensure her daughter's safety and well-being while she attended to her son's medical needs.

The inquest heard that the mother's immigration status at the time complicated matters. As an overstayer, having separated from her UK partner, she was ineligible to access public funds. Despite this, social workers failed to arrange a suitable placement for Mazeedat, instead advising the mother to seek help from friends. This advice was particularly unhelpful, given that the mother had no established support network in the UK.

The consequences of this failure were devastating. On January 25, 2022, the mother was left with no choice but to leave Mazeedat in the care of someone she didn't know or trust well enough. This heartbreaking decision was made necessary by the lack of support and resources provided to the family, ultimately leading to the tragic events that unfolded.

Victim said: “At the time she died, Mazeedat was staying with people I didn't know or trust well enough.

“However, I felt that I had no choice but to leave her in their care.

“Faced with the alternative of leaving my other child, a three-month-old baby alone in hospital to recover from heart surgery, this was no choice at all.”

A distraught mother of two testified that she repeatedly begged for assistance, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Despite her desperate cries for help, no support was arranged, leaving her with no choice but to entrust her toddler's care to someone she barely knew. Tragically, this decision would ultimately prove disastrous.

The events of January 29, 2022, are forever etched in the mother's memory. It was on this day that her 2-year-old daughter, Mazeedat, was reported missing. A frantic search ensued, and just a few hours later, the toddler's lifeless body was discovered in the garden. The news was devastating, and the mother's world was shattered.

The inquest into Mazeedat's death delivered a scathing verdict, concluding that the toddler's tragic demise was the result of a “gross failure” on multiple fronts. The inquest identified inadequate supervision in the garden, failures by those caring for the child, and a lack of support from the council as contributing factors to the tragedy. The verdict served as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of systemic failures and the importance of providing adequate support to vulnerable families.

A post-mortem examination revealed the devastating truth: 2-year-old Mazeedat's cause of death was drowning. This tragic outcome was a direct result of a series of failures that could have been prevented. Coroner Graeme Irvine delivered a scathing verdict, stating that “local authority child services failed to support the girl's family and put in place appropriate support for her care.”

The coroner's investigation uncovered a critical missed opportunity that could have changed the course of events. If a foster placement had been secured for Mazeedat, it is likely that her death could have been avoided. This stark realization underscores the importance of providing timely and effective support to vulnerable families. The coroner's findings serve as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of systemic failures.

In response to his findings, Coroner Graeme Irvine announced his intention to write a Prevention of Future Deaths report. This report will aim to identify the key factors that contributed to Mazeedat's death and provide recommendations to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. By taking this step, the coroner hopes to bring about meaningful change and ensure that vulnerable children like Mazeedat receive the support and care they deserve.

A spokesperson for Newham Council said: “We were devastated by her tragic death. Our thoughts remain with her family and loved ones.

“After the terrible accident which led to her death in January 2022 we undertook an investigation into our role and since that time our social work practice and approach has been overhauled a change, which has since been recognised by Ofsted who now rate our services as 'Good'.”

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