Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 6
Norfolk Council Probes Care of 30-Year-Old Arrested After 3-Year-Old's Crocodile Attack
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 6

Norfolk Council Probes Care of 30-Year-Old Arrested After 3-Year-Old's Crocodile Attack

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 6

Summary

  • Norfolk County Council has opened a Section 42 safeguarding inquiry into the care of a 30-year-old man arrested after a 3-year-old boy was seriously injured in a crocodile enclosure on 18 June.
  • The man, believed to have learning disabilities, was on a zoo trip with carers and was later bailed on suspicion of attempted murder until 18 September after police deemed him unfit for interview.
  • The boy, from Cambridgeshire, remains stable in Addenbrooke's Hospital after five operations, and his family says he faces a lengthy rehabilitation.
  • Norfolk said it did not provide, commission or pay for the man's care, but the Care Act 2014 requires councils to investigate possible risks to adults with care and support needs.
  • The Care Quality Commission is also liaising with the organisations involved to decide whether any regulatory action is needed over the incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst near Huntingdon.

Insights

Who faces consequences when a zoo attack involves a vulnerable suspect: the carers, the care company, or the zoo?
With care systems failing and zoos skipping safety drills, was this horrific crocodile attack an accident waiting to happen?
When the suspect is a vulnerable adult deemed unfit for interview, how can justice be served for the injured three-year-old boy?