Watchdog blasts force for failing to investigate if Poppi Worthington’s death was linked to sexual abuse

A POLICE watchdog has blasted a force for not properly investigating whether the tragic death of a tot was linked to sexual abuse.

Poppi Worthington was judged to have been abused by her dad before she died at just 13-months-old.

But Paul Worthington, 48, has not been charged and continues to deny any wrongdoing.

Now an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) report has said Cumbria Constabulary’s investigation was “unstructured and disorganised”.

The police watchdog said the force did not adequately investigate whether Poppi was sexually abused and instead continued to focus on natural causes of death.

The report blasted investigating officers Det Insp Amanda Sadler and Det Supt Michael for bungling the probe.

DI Sadler was said to have not supervised the crime scene at Poppi’s home in Cumbria adequately and failed to make early arrests.

There was no witness strategy and interviews were carried out “months” after the death in December 2012.

The officers were said to have been slow to investigate Poppi’s death as a criminal inquiry and failed to ask appropriate questions of the post-mortem pathologist.

A search of the home was described as not having “any consideration to the incident constituting a criminal offence and extending the search to items that would assist a criminal investigation.”

Poppi was taken to Furness General Hospital in Barrow-in-Furness and died from her injuries.

Worthington was arrested in 2013 after Poppi’s death but never faced trial due to errors by police and social workers.

Her first inquest in 2014 was held in private and lasted seven minutes.

Then coroner Ian Smith had recorded an open verdict, which was later ruled unlawful.

In January 2016 a judge concluded that “on the balance of probabilities” the child was sexually assaulted by her father.

Yesterday Poppi’s aunt and Worthington’s brother Tracy, 47, who received the IPCC report in advance, slammed the police quoted for squabbling and trying to pass the blame to each other.

She said: “It reads like something in a school playground. What we are dealing with here is a little child’s death.

“I got so upset reading what they said I had to put the report down.

“I don’t understand how they can say they didn’t gather the evidence.

“I was there minutes after they arrived, I saw the ambulance taking Poppi away in the distance as I came home from night-shift, and they gathered lots of evidence.

“They took stuff like bedding and blankets.” Both Det Supt Forrester and DI Sadler have since retired from the force after their actions were deemed to be gross misconduct.

IPCC Commissioner Carl Gumsley: “This is an extremely sad case.

“It is clear from the evidence presented that Cumbria Constabulary’s original inquiry into Poppi’s death was not fit for purpose with many enquiries not being actioned for several months.

The entire inquiry did not reach a resolution until almost two years later.

“These findings posed serious questions for Cumbria Constabulary. I have been assured that the force has since attempted to address these failings.

“It is absolutely crucial that the force continues to improve to ensure this never happens again.” Cumbria Chief Constable Jerry Graham said: ““I unreservedly accept the criticisms contained within the report.

“I am absolutely clear that the Constabulary’s initial investigation fell well short of the standard that could, and should, have been expected.

“I profoundly regret that we let Poppi and her family down and I offer a heartfelt apology for this.” A second inquest into the death of Poppi, whose family history was described as “complex”, is due to be held in May.