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Child team meet over neglect case Council begins girl death probe
(about 3 hours later)
A children's panel is expected to meet later to discuss the case of a seven-year-old girl who is thought to have starved to death. Birmingham City Council has promised it will do all it can to find out how a seven-year-old girl apparently starved to death.
Khyra Ishaq of Birmingham was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead on Saturday. Khyra Ishaq, of Handsworth, Birmingham, was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead on Saturday.
Two people, thought to be her mother and step-father, have been charged with neglect in connection with her death.Two people, thought to be her mother and step-father, have been charged with neglect in connection with her death.
Birmingham City Council has said its panel would meet to discuss the death after an MP demanded an investigation. The independent Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board said it had begun a review of Khyra's care.
The council said its Safeguarding Children Board, which looks into every child's death, would meet to discuss Khyra's case. It said this was a standard response to any child's death where neglect was a possible factor.
Emergency order Khyra's death is a tragedy and our thoughts are with her family, friends and the local community within which she lived Birmingham City Council
Earlier, Birmingham Perry Barr MP Khalid Mahmood has asked for an inquiry and accused the council of "battening down its hatches" by refusing to speak about the case. Police are investigating the possibility that Khyra had starved to death.
The council said it had been granted an emergency protection order for Khyra's five siblings who were now in foster care.
Angela Gordon, 33, and Junaid Abuhamza, 29, have appeared before the city's magistrates charged with neglect. They have been remanded in custody until 28 May.Angela Gordon, 33, and Junaid Abuhamza, 29, have appeared before the city's magistrates charged with neglect. They have been remanded in custody until 28 May.
Mr Mahmood has claimed the youngster had been removed from school by her mother 10 weeks ago. Perry Barr MP Khali Mahmood had accused the city council on Thursday of "battening down the hatches" by refusing to speak about the case.
He said there should be an inquiry into what action was taken by officials and pledged to write to the chief executive of Birmingham City Council. Mr Mahmood claimed the youngster had been removed from school by her mother 10 weeks ago and called for an inquiry into the council's actions.
Police are continue their investigations into Khyra's death, including a theory she starved to death. The council said its chief executive Stephen Hughes telephoned Mr Mahmood on Thursday to discuss the case and had pledged to keep the MP updated.
It added that psychologists were offering support to pupils and staff at Grove Primary School, Handsworth, which Khyra attended.
The council has been granted an emergency protection order for Khyra's five brothers and sisters who are now in foster care.
In a statement, it said: "Khyra's death is a tragedy and our thoughts are with her family, friends and the local community within which she lived.
"And all those people can be reassured that the city council and all other agencies involved are doing everything they can to find out what happened and look after her brothers and sisters to the best of our ability."
It added that each council service with a child protection role would undergo an internal management review.
The independent case review will be sent to the Department for Children, Schools and Families and Ofsted for scrutiny.
Its contents will not be made published until after legal proceedings had finished.