Headteacher's conviction for fatal fall quashed - full details

Stephen Perrin
Member - 3 posts

This was undoubtably a tragic event, I cannot comprehend the devestation of the family concerned and as such they may feel let down that nobody has been held accountable. I agree it is, however, a victory for common sense and hopefully everyone can see it would be impossible for any school, college, nursery to supervise every child on every set of stairs or slope or curb or door where a child could have an accident.

I would also challenge why a prosecution was brought. Decisions like these, under the banner of health and safety, undermine public opinion of the undoubtably good work done to protect us all but more importantly mean the divertion of resources from where they could do the most good.

Had this child been successfully treated, I doubt this would ever have been investigated, let alone prosecuted. Which then turns your attention to the hospital who may, and it is only a may, have been responsible for this death. Has there been an investigation into the hospital or a prosecution of any of the NHS hospitals whose chief executives have presided over the deaths of dozens, even hundreds of patients because of a lack of cleanliness and infection control.

I also wonder what other costs this case has other than the financial ones. Whilst the headteacher is undoubtably responsible for the safety of their pupils, I cannot imagine the distress for the headteacher and his or her family that such a prosecution has had for what, to the layperson, is an ill conceived prosecution, the only outcome of which would seem to be to make someone accountable for what was a tragic accident.

What impact does this kind of action have on those of us in positions of responsibility, on attracting people to take positions of responsibility, particularly in the public sector when there is little faith that we would be treated equitably