UK - Poppi Worthington, 13 mos, dies with suspicious injuries, Barrow, 12 Dec 2012

A 13-month-old girl was sexually assaulted by her father shortly before her sudden death, a judge has found.

Poppi Worthington was found with serious injuries at her home in Barrow in December 2012.
Her father, Paul Worthington, 47, was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault but not charged with any offence.

He always denied any wrongdoing and issued a statement saying he did not accept the latest findings and had never hurt his daughter.
Fresh evidence would be required to launch a new criminal investigation.

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No criminal charges will be brought over the death of 13-month-old Poppi Worthington, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

“The CPS subsequently received an application under the victims’ right to review scheme in September 2016. In accordance with the scheme, a CPS lawyer with no prior involvement in the case has completed a full review of the evidence and has concluded that the decision not to charge was correct.”

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Fiona McGhie, a lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, representing Poppi’s mother, said: “Poppi’s mother is understandably both distressed and disappointed by the CPS’s decision not to bring a prosecution regarding her death.

“She has always been anxious to know exactly what happened to Poppi on the day of her death as well as to secure justice for her little girl. She hopes that an inquest, which was delayed while the CPS examined its decision, will shed some light on Poppi’s injuries and create a path to justice so her daughter can finally be at peace.”

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A fresh inquest was ordered after a seven-minute hearing in 2014 determined Poppi's death was "unascertained". It has since twice been adjourned.

Cumbria coroner David Roberts said the second inquest will start on 27 November and last up to four weeks.

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On Thursday, at the second inquest into Poppi's death, after the first was quashed by the High Court as "irregular", lawyers made final submissions to Senior Coroner for Cumbria David Roberts, who must rule on how she came by her death.

The inquest has heard 10 days of evidence from an array of expert medical witnesses, with Poppi's cause of death remaining "unascertained".

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Mr Worthington, who denies any wrongdoing, refused to answer questions 252 times, citing his right to remain silent under Rule 22 of the Coroners (Inquests) Rules 2013, that he was not obliged to answer any questions tending to incriminate him.

The inquest also heard that an investigation by Cumbria Police was so botched that vital evidence was lost - and so exactly what happened to Poppi will never be known and no-one will be charged with any offence.

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In final submissions today Gillian Irving QC, representing Poppi's mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: "So far as the mother is concerned, they have denied Poppi justice and denied her the opportunity of establishing or helping to establish a cause of death.

Coroner Mr Roberts adjourned the hearing until noon on January 12, when he will deliver his conclusions.

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The CPS said in January there were no plans to review the tragic case of the 13-month-old following the conclusion of her high profile inquest.

But officials within the service, who have the final say on whether to seek a prosecution in criminal cases, are now working with Cumbria police to analyse the findings of David Roberts, senior coroner for Cumbria.

A final decision on whether to launch a formal review of evidence available - in light of the inquest verdict - will then be taken.

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