The father of a child who was left alone in a Glasgow flat for days after his mother's tragic death has demanded a fresh probe to overhaul the care system.
Little Adriel Nnanna, then 18-months-old, is feared to have lay for up to four days at an address in Govan following the sudden death of his mum, Mercy Baguma, in August 2020. The 34-year-old asylum seeker, from Uganda, was found dead by police officers after the sounds of her crying baby were reported to the authorities.
The tot was discovered in his cot suffering from malnourishment. Now, Adriel's father, Eric Nnanna, has called for a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) to be held in the hope of 'closing gaps in the care system' and preventing future tragedies.
It was hoped that a legal investigation would shed light on what happened, but, hopes were severed after there appeared to be no rules that explained what officials and care workers were meant to do in an event where they can’t contact or locate a parent.
Eric said: "The legal action was never about money - it was about making Home Office hold their hands up and admit they got things wrong. Have these two organisations even made any changes to how they do things since August 2020?
"They should be telling us if they have so people know they are safe. There’s still so many mysteries about what happened around the whole incident and as the Home Office won’t tell us openly I think an FAI is the best and maybe the only way to see, learn and improve things.
“Something needs to happen so things can improve as we can’t have a care system where there are no rules. Adriel is now doing well and becoming a big boy and I thank everyone for their help but we are trying to build a future at what is still a difficult time so we ask that our privacy is respected.”
Kim Leslie, Partner at Digby Brown, added: “What happened to Adriel was utterly devastating and understandably affected the nation because how can we have a care system with gaps so large it leaves a child alone for days after the death of his mother? I can only hope the Home Office has now bridged such gaps and equally, I would encourage the COPFS to conduct a fatal accident inquiry so a tragedy like this never again occurs.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: "This is a tragic situation and our condolences go to Ms Baguma’s family. We have since undertaken a number of significant changes to keep asylum seekers safe, including how we, our contractors and charities spot vulnerable individuals and provide them with wraparound support and appropriate accommodation.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson added: “We support calls to establish the facts of this tragic case so that her family can have some understanding.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
