A sadistic child abuser is facing jail for causing the death of a baby after a catalogue of failures by the same social services department which condemned Victoria Climbie to death. The boy's mother ignored his agony as her 32-year-old boyfriend treated

A sadistic child abuser is facing jail for causing the death of a baby after a catalogue of failures by the same social services department which condemned Victoria Climbie to death.

The boy's mother ignored his agony as her 32-year-old boyfriend treated the 17-month-old toddler 'like a punchbag' for more than nine months.

The child was on the 'at risk' register with Haringey Social Services in north London and was admitted to hospital or examined by doctors 13 times when he was showing clear signs of abuse.

He finally died after having his back broken with the level of force usually only suffered by victims of a car crash.

Some of the social workers in the case had been directly involved in the Victoria Climbie fiasco.

Despite regular visits the social work team assigned to the case had no idea the boyfriend even lived at the brand new council house they had been given.

A jury convicted the boyfriend of causing or allowing the death of a child after clearing him of both murder and manslaughter.

The mother was originally charged with murder but the charge was thrown out by the judge at the close of the evidence.

She had admitted allowing the death of a child on the first day of the Old Bailey trial.

Lodger Jason Owen, 36, was also convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child.

He was cleared of murder on the direction of the judge at the same time as the mother.

All three will now be sentenced on December 15.