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Call for action following Lola James murder

Lola JamesImage source, Family Photo
Image caption,

Lola James died in hospital in July 2020 having suffered a "catastrophic" head injury and 101 external injuries

At a glance

  • Lola James died in hospital four days after she suffered a "sustained, deliberate and very violent attack" from Kyle Bevan on 17 July 2020

  • Bevan was sentenced to life in prison for murder, while Lola's mother Sinead James was sentenced to six years for allowing her death

  • Councillors have called for a report into safeguarding be published

  • Published

Following a two-year-old's murder, a call has been made for action to be taken in the county where she died.

Lola James died in hospital four days after a "sustained, deliberate and very violent attack" from Kyle Bevan on 17 July 2020.

Bevan, 31 of Aberystwyth was found guilty of Lola's murder and jailed for life.

Lola's mother, Sinead James, 30, of Neyland, Pembrokeshire, was found guilty of allowing Lola's death, and sentenced to six years in prison.

Councillor Huw Murphy asked what action is taking place, and was told a review into children's welfare is being carried out by Pembrokeshire council.

During the course of the trial, the jury heard that Bevan and James met through Facebook in February 2020, and he moved in to the family home in Haverfordwest within weeks.

James had just got out of a domestic violence relationship, and as a previous victim of domestic abuse, had access to support.

However, she "shut her eyes to the very obvious danger which Kyle Bevan posed to her children", the court heard.

Mr Murphy asked the full council meeting to reassure him that a welfare report presented in November 2022 would be acted on.

He also asked how a child practice review into Lola's death could help to "establish what lessons can be learnt to avoid such a tragedy in the future".

Cabinet member for social services Tessa Hodgson said a review was started following Lola's death and restarted after the trial concluded.

She told members the review would be published after it was completed, but could not give a timescale.

NSPCC Cymru's assistant director Tracey Holdsworth has previously said: "The death of a child in such harrowing circumstances leaves many of us asking questions.

"The Child Practice Review being carried out into the circumstances around Lola's death must be robust in finding whether more could have been done to protect this little girl and how agencies working together can better prevent future tragedies."