Finley Boden Obituary, Death Cause – According to the findings of a safeguarding study, a baby boy who was just ten months old when he was murdered by his parents just a few weeks after being returned to their care “should have been one of the most protected children in the local authority area.” On Christmas Day in the year 2020, Finley Boden’s parents, Shannon Marsden and Stephen Boden, inflicted a total of 130 injuries on their son before he tragically collapsed at the family home in Old Whittington, Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
Despite the fact that social services had expressed concerns regarding Boden and Marsden’s drug usage as well as the condition of the family home, Finley had been returned to their care on November 17 of that year by a family court. Following his return to his home, Finley was subjected to a campaign of abuse, and it was discovered that he had 130 different injuries at the time of his death, in addition to diseases such as sepsis and pneumonia.
In the month of May, the Derby Crown Court handed down life sentences to Marsden and Boden, with the minimum periods of their sentences being 27 and 29 years, respectively. The results of the Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review that was conducted by the Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership about Finley’s death were made public on Wednesday for public consumption.
In the evaluation, which has been made anonymous, it was said that “in this particular instance, a child died as a result of abuse when he should have been one of the most protected children in the local authority area.” In spite of the fact that Finley’s parents were to blame for his passing, the assessment noted that “professional interventions should have protected him.”
According to the report, the “most significant professional decision” was that he should live with his parents. The report also came to the conclusion that “the safeguarding environment in which that decision was made had been incrementally weakened by the decisions, actions, circumstances, and events that preceded it.”
According to the investigation, the majority of the events that Finley had been through in the final weeks of his life “were unknown to professionals working with the family at that time.” However, it went on to say that “the review has found, despite this, that safeguarding practice during that time was inadequate.”
Marsden and Boden were described as “persuasive and accomplished liars” by Mrs. Justice Amanda Tipples during their sentencing the previous year. She also stated that their son was “brutally assaulted” by them. In the instance of Finley Boden, the children’s services department of Derbyshire County Council acknowledged that there had been “missed opportunities.”
According to Carol Cammiss, who serves as the executive director for children’s services at the council, “Finley’s death was a tragedy for everyone who knew him and for everyone involved in his care.” We feel a profound sense of loss at the news of his passing, and our sympathies are with all of those who were close to him. “Despite the considerable limits that Covid imposed on our work at the time, we are aware that there were possibilities for improved practice that were lost, and we sincerely apologize for missing those opportunities.
“We did not wait for the outcome of this evaluation; rather, we took immediate action to review and reinforce our systems, and we continue to monitor the method in which we engage with families and infants.It is our utmost duty to ensure the safety of children in Derbyshire, and the council acknowledges and accepts the findings and recommendations of the assessment. Furthermore, the council accepts full responsibility for its actions in this circumstances.
In their filthy home close to Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Shannon Marsden and Stephen Boden, who were referred to as “monsters” by a relative, subjected their son, Finley Boden, to “vicious and repeated assaults” over the course of a little more than a month. On Christmas Day in the year 2020, Finley passed away as a result of a fatal collapse. At the time of his passing, it was discovered that he had suffered from a total of 130 injuries, in addition to illnesses such as sepsis and pneumonia. A shattered pelvis, broken shoulder, fractured shinbone, fractured collarbones, many fractured ribs, and four different thighbone fractures were among the injuries. In addition, 71 bruises and various burns were detected on his body, and blood, vomit, and feces were found on his clothing and body.
At Derby Crown Court in May of last year, Mrs. Justice Amanda Tipples handed down life sentences to Marsden and Boden, with respective minimum terms of 27 and 29 years. She stated that the two individuals were “persuasive and accomplished liars” who “brutally assaulted” their son. She stated, “You both were aware that Finley was in a critical condition and was on her deathbed… You, on the other hand, made it a point to avoid seeking any kind of medical assistance for him, and you also made certain that he was not seen by anyone who may have been able to save him and take him away from your care.
