Boy buried by parents in garden was 'lost' to child services, review says

A toddler who was starved by his parents and buried in their garden was "invisible and lost" to child services, a review has said.

- Raphael Boyd

Three-year-old Abiyah Yasharahyalah, who lived with his parents in Birmingham, died in early 2020 from a respiratory illness.

He was severely malnourished when he died and suffered from anaemia, rickets and stunted growth, which, as well as the illness, were exacerbated by the "restricted" vegan diet he was given at home.

A local child safeguarding practice review into Abiyah's death, published yesterday, found there had been a lack of questions asked about how the family's lifestyle and culture could have affected his health, stating "the safeguarding of children being affected by harmful cultural practice is paramount".

The review also found that while the family were subject to visits, they were sporadic and short, noting that Abiyah "was only ever seen by a small number of professionals during his lifetime, and for a limited time only".