Urgent probe begins into UK children's stabbing deaths

Urgent investigations are beginning today in the UK after two children known to social services were allegedly killed by their mother.

Jael Mullings, aged 21, is believed to have stabbed her children, Romaria Mullings-Sewell, two, and three-month-old Delayno. The children’s bodies were discovered at the family home in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, on Wednesday evening.

Manchester City Council is now reviewing why the troubled young mother no longer had a social worker, although the family was known to social services.

And the police’s involvement was also being examined after it was revealed officers called at the house just hours before the brothers were killed.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) launched an investigation last night, an hour after the council announced its own review of social services’ involvement in the tragedy.

Both children, described as “gorgeous” and “beautiful”, were stabbed in the stomach.

UK police are expected to release post-mortem examination results today.

The mother has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

The boys’ deaths come in the aftermath of the child protection scandal in London involving “Baby P”, prompting another investigation ordered by Children’s Minister Ed Balls and Haringey Council issuing an apology.

The Mullings family previously had a social worker but not at the time of the children’s death.

The council said with an investigation under way it was “not appropriate” to explain why and when contact was ended with social workers or say when the family was last seen by social services.

The council declined to answer further questions.

But the local authority confirmed the family was not currently on the “at risk” child protection register and released a statement saying that, while known to the council’s children’s services, they were not “currently involved” with them.

Police found the children’s bodies at the family’s home in Kilmington Drive, Cheetham Hill, at around 5.45pm yesterday.

But hours earlier, at around 1.50pm, police were alerted by a call from a local doctor’s surgery with reports of “concern for the welfare” of the boys’ mother.

Police visited Ms Mullings’ home around an hour later but there was nobody in and they did not enter the property.

Officers searched the area and visited the children’s grandmother to try to find Ms Mullings, who was described as in a “distressed state”.

It is understood Ms Mullings went to her mother’s house and shortly afterwards paramedics and police received a call to go to Kilmington Drive, where they found the children.

A statement released by the Mullings family said: “We, as a family, are struggling to come to terms with the tragic events and we cannot even begin to understand what happened.

“Everybody is completely devastated. We hope that, wherever the boys have gone to, they are at peace.”

The boys’ father, who did not live with their mother, is in shock and receiving counselling.

Family friend, mother of one Melissa Bell, 23, said the killings were a “cry for help” by troubled Ms Mullings.

“I think it’s really sad. It’s a cry for help and she never got the help she needed,” she said.

“Everyone said she needed help but she never got any.”

Manchester’s investigation comes after Haringey Council apologised for its failings following the death of Baby P, the 17-month old boy who died in a blood-splattered cot despite 60 visits from the authorities over eight months.

The same council was heavily criticised over the notorious case of Victoria Climbie eight years ago, who died at the hands of her carers.