ABSTRACT
Introduction It is unusual for society to address concerns about children before it has considered equivalent issues for adults. However, systems to examine cases of fatal child abuse in the United Kingdom preceded inquiries into homicides by adult psychiatric patients by two decades. This may be because care in the community for adult patients has been a relatively recent development, while a culture of criticism has only latterly become directed at health, as opposed to social work, staff Nonetheless, this longer history provides those involved in child protection with a unique perspective from which to consider the impact and value of the inquiry process.
