2-Yr-Old Dead As Drug Addicted Mum Gives Him Methadone, Cocaine, Alcohol

Investigation has revealed that the last year's death of a 2-year-old boy who drank some of his mother's methadone could have been prevented.

Riley Pettipierre, from Belper, Derbyshire, swallowed the heroin substitute from a beaker last March.
The parents, Sally Dent and Shaun Binfield, were convicted of manslaughter and imprisoned in February.
The tragedy itself happened in March 2012 when Dent, a long-term drug user, put the legally prescribed substitute into one of his beakers.


During the investigation it was discovered that Riley had been exposed to several drugs and traces of cannabis, crack cocaine, heroin and alcohol were found in his system.

The report, following a serious case review, found there had been a series of "missed opportunities" by several organisations and professionals who came into contact with the family.
According to experts, police officers who visited the house following a tip off about low-level drug dealing failed to inform social services about any concerns.

Moreover, not only police but also doctors, who treated Dent for her drug addiction, failed to inform social services.

"Missed opportunities"
Det Supt Andy Stokes, head of public protection at Derbyshire Police, said: "Mistakes do happen and unfortunately there has been a tragic death in this case but we are learning all the time and improving."
According to Christine Cassell, chair of the Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Board, much more attention was paid to the mother's drug treatment rather than to Riley's needs.

Dent was earlier sentenced to seven-and-a-half years and Binfield received four years.

Source: BBC News