The video released on Thursday of Preston Davey smiling up from his highchair is difficult to watch. It captures the unguarded happiness of a baby who has no reason yet to distrust the world. Knowing what happened to him afterwards, you find yourself wanting to reach into the screen and lift him up to safety.
A baby who had already experienced more upheaval than most of us will in a lifetime was failed in the worst possible way
I won’t repeat the details of Preston’s death. They’re too horrific. Suffice to say that a baby who had already experienced more upheaval than most of us will in a lifetime was failed in the worst possible way.
Cases like this inevitably prompt calls for tighter regulation and more safeguards. Yet Jamie Varley – who will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing and abusing Preston – had already passed through a system designed to scrutinise every aspect of his life. Before adopting Preston he was a teacher, a head of year and was even involved in safeguarding. He had spent years convincing colleagues, parents and other professionals that he was someone who could be trusted around children.
It’s tempting to imagine that one additional form, one extra interview or another training course would have exposed him. But in over 20 years of fostering I’ve learned that some people are exceptionally skilled at concealing who they really are.
