Safeguarding review highlights agency failings in fatal stabbing

A safeguarding review into the death of a 15-year-old boy, Daejaun Campbell, has highlighted failings in how agencies worked together. Campbell was fatally stabbed in Woolwich on 22 September 2024. His mother, Jodian Taylor, had repeatedly raised concerns about his safety and suspected criminal exploitation between February and September 2024.

The review, published by the Greenwich Safeguarding Children Partnership (GSCP), found that while agencies were involved, a lack of regular multi-agency meetings prevented a proper assessment of Daejaun's risk. Taylor was described in the report as 'not passive but persistent' in seeking help for her son.

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Mother's persistent concerns

Taylor reported concerns to the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), the local authority, and through Child in Need reviews. These concerns included knife possession, risky peer associations, cannabis use, suspected drug dealing, and fears of county lines involvement. She also reported feeling unsupported and requested additional help for herself and her family.

The review noted that Taylor's concerns escalated from behavioural issues to fears for her family's safety. At one point, she requested to surrender parental responsibility, stating it was not about giving up on her son but wanting him in a safe environment.

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Daejaun Campbell died at the scene after being stabbed in the leg with a knife. Paramedics found drugs packaged for sale in his underwear. It is believed he was targeted in a dispute between drug dealers.

Recommendations for improvement

Councillor Anthony Okereke, leader of Greenwich Council, stated that a central finding was the need for closer collaboration between schools, police, health services, and the council. He apologised to Taylor and committed to learning from the recommendations to prevent future tragedies.

The review made several recommendations, including better joint working between agencies, stronger responses to exploitation and violence, earlier intervention for at-risk children, improved handling of missing children's cases, and more support for families.

Taylor expressed frustration that the recommendations were similar to those made in previous reviews, suggesting they had not been implemented effectively. She noted that a similar inquest involving another teenage boy, Corey Junior Davis, in east London this month also found comparable failings across multiple agencies.

Taylor told the BBC: "Daejaun wasn't the first; he wasn't the last. The recommendations in the review are recommendations in most reviews. They're recommendations that could have helped Daejaun based on the previous review of a young person months before Daejaun had passed, but still they weren't implemented."