Rees Family

Rees family

Abigail is a 21 year old, British/black caribbean young woman who has been assessed to have moderate learning difficulties. Abigail’s son Cameron is 4 years old, and they live with her parents who are in their late 60s.   

His father Jack is white British and is known to the police, probation and local fire services. Jack has supervised contact with Cameron at a local contact centre after having been released from  prison recently after serving a sentence for an arson attack.  

When the grandparents last dropped  Cameron off at the contact centre they expressed concerns about Jack hanging around outside their house. Staff were also told that the fire brigade had been called out recently to put out a fire that had been started in their shed. 

Jack was interviewed by the Police but denied any involvement, the grandparents believed he was responsible but were told that the case was closed due to lack of evidence. 

Jack has also knocked on their door to try and speak to Abigail, and they have received letters from his solicitor saying that he wants custody of Cameron. 

Abigail’s parents decided to refer their concerns to adult social care after they realised that Abigail had been seeing Jack in secret.  

The fire brigade was called out again by the neighbours and when they arrived the house was set alight. The fire investigation found that petrol had been put through the letterbox. The fire took hold in the hall entrance, flames quickly spread preventing escape. Neighbours shouted at Abigail to open the window to get Cameron out but she could not operate the catch that had been child proofed. Cameron died later that night in hospital from carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation. Abigail and her parents were severely injured before being rescued from the fire by fire officers.