Corporate Responsibility

NSPCC case study - Paul

It all started with a phone call to the NSPCC 24-hour Child Protection Helpline. A woman was concerned about a child, Paul, who was two and a half, and who lived in the house across the road. She often heard shouting coming from the house at night and would hear a child scream and cry deep into the night.

Her concerns worsened when, one day, she saw the boy had terrible black bruises up and down his legs and arms, which had apparently occurred because Paul had "fallen down the stairs". It was not uncommon for the boy to have visible injuries.

She finally decided to call the NSPCC when she saw Paul's step father slap the little boy round the ear because he didn't want to get into their car. His mother was taking no notice of the abuse. If anything, she was ill-tempered at her son's behaviour.

It turned out that Paul had been subject to abuse since birth. He had an old bruise on his back and there was evidence that he had his forearm broken in the past. His step-father and mother were both responsible for the injuries the boy had sustained over his short life.

Thanks to the call to the NSPCC, Paul was found somewhere safe to live by the Local Authority; he now has a new and happier life – away from his abusers.

Children like Paul aren't able to call for help.
In many respects they are reliant on the vigilance of others to help them escape from cruelty. It is thanks to your support that we are able to run our NSPCC Helpline, offering help and advice for anyone who has concerns about a child's welfare. Our professionals can recognise the signs of abuse and if necessary act immediately to help remove that child from harm.

Last year we referred nearly 12,000 calls on to social services because we were concerned about a child's safety.

On behalf of vulnerable children across the UK, thank you for all you do to support our work.

The NSPCC Helpline is a free, 24-hour service which provides advice to anyone worried about a child.

Visit the NSPCC website to find out more or please make a donation

This sample case draws on what callers tell our Helpline, but it does not describe a specific case