National investigation to be launched into murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes

A National review will look into how social services and local authorities liaise with the criminal justice system to learn the lessons from Arthur’s death in June last year.

This comes as deputy PM Dominic Raab told Sky News: “The most vulnerable in our society need to have the maximum protection”.

While in the sole care of his stepmother Emma Tustin, 32, Arthur was left with an unsurvivable brain injury, with the boy’s body also covered in 130 bruises.

The wider investigation will run alongside a review of the jail sentences of Arthur’s step-mother and his father. Tustin was sentenced to a minimum of 29 years in prison for Arthur’s murder, while Hughes was jailed for 21 years for manslaughter after encouraging the killing of his son.

Speaking to Sky News’ “Trevor Phillips on Sunday” about the case, Raab, who is also justice secretary and is a father of two young boys, said he “can’t begin to imagine how anyone could be that cruel”.

“There will be a local safeguarding review which will look at the local authority’s actions – whether any lessons could have been picked up earlier, whether any warning flags could have been put up earlier, Raab added. 

The Department for Education is expected to make a formal announcement of the national investigation later on Sunday.