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A boy was found to have a horrific Elizabethan disease caused by severe malnutrition from neglect. The 10-year-old youngster's abuse in Oldham, Greater Manchester , was only uncovered after he ended up in hospital and it was found he had been sent to school with "mouldy bread and water" . A safeguarding review found that Oldham council made a shocking "oversight" when it missed the horrifying treatment of the boy, referred to as 'Abdur', after he was admitted to hospital with malnourishment, anaemia and scurvy. Scurvy is caused by the severe deficiency of vitamin C and was a common illness for sailors in the past who would not have access to fresh fruit for long periods at a time while they were at sea. Researchers estimated that during the Age of Exploration (between 1500 and 1800), scurvy killed at least two million sailors. The NHS says that scurvy is "rare" as most people would get enough vitamin C and it is usually easy to treat. But the 10-year-old boy was found to be suffering from severe leg pain and had four of his teeth removed due to the extreme mistreatment while under the care of his mother, a woman known to social services for long-term drug addiction to heroin and crack cocaine. The NHS stated: "Scurvy is caused by not having enough vitamin C in your diet over a long period of time. Vitamin C is mainly found in fruit and vegetables. However, even people who do not eat very healthily all the time are not usually considered at risk of scurvy." The boy, who had moved with his family to the Manchester town when he was young, had been made the council's responsibility under a care order placed just two years prior, but the order was in the process of being stepped down when his condition deteriorated. Manchester Evening News reports that Abdur was described as a "very likeable and delightful child" whose mum had several other children placed in the care of extended family. Abdur's rapidly deteriorating condition was first noted by social services between January and February 2023, with the safeguarding report noting that his school had alerted social services concerning "rapid weight loss" and other signs of neglect 38 times. The report found he was sent to school with "dry, and on one occasion mouldy, bread and water". Social services had missed these signs of his deteriorating health, however, and when the boy suffered a knee injury, his mum and stepdad had said they "did not believe he was in pain". And despite struggling to walk, they made him walk back to school from a doctor's appointment. It was later discovered that the extreme pain was due to severe vitamin deficiency. The report adds that social services weren't the only officials to miss the severity of the young boy's condition, with multiple A&E visits and a GP appointment also failing to raise alarms. He was only admitted to a paediatric hospital when his school nurse raised the alarm, with experts later concluding his condition was wholly preventable, and could have become life-threatening without prompt treatment. Missed opportunities to prevent the situation from reaching this critical point were outlined in the safeguarding report, which outlined significant "multi-agency" failures in the year running up to his eventual hospital admission. The report found: "The signs were there. Abdur was telling school professionals for some time that he felt unwell and unhappy. "Unlike other case examples across the country, there were regular multi-agency opportunities in the 12 months before this incident that could and should have facilitated all agency concerns to be carefully explored." Abdur's complaints were overshadowed by his mother's "alternative explanations", the report added. The care order imposed on the 10-year-old remains in place, and he continues to live at home with his mum, stepdad and half siblings. Responding to the report, Shaid Mushtaq, Oldham’s cabinet member for children and young people said on behalf of Oldham Safeguarding Children Partnership: “This is a deeply distressing case, and my thoughts are first and foremost with Abdur and his family. "No child should ever have to experience what they went through, and as a council we are truly sorry for the pain and trauma they have suffered. The safeguarding reviews make it clear that while there were professionals who showed real dedication and care, there were also areas where we should have done better. "We have taken these findings extremely seriously and acted on the learning points identified. Since these tragic incidents which took place several years ago, we have made significant changes to strengthen our safeguarding work. "That includes earlier identification of risk, better coordination between agencies, and a renewed focus on making sure that every child’s voice is heard, understood and acted upon. Oldham’s safeguarding partnership now operates with greater oversight, stronger challenge, and clearer accountability. But we know that improvement is a continual journey.”
