sws4420
10-24-2005, 12:04 PM
A THREE-year-old boy could have been trapped inside an Edinburgh flat with the body of his dead mother for a month, council records have revealed.
An investigation into the electronic keys used at the Leith housing estate where Michael McGarrity was rescued show his mother, Anne-Marie McGarrity, failed to enter or leave the complex for more than four weeks.
The once "chubby" boy was very dehydrated and described as "looking like a skeleton" when he was found at the council flat last Saturday night.
Politicians last night said the state of the woman's badly decomposed body, which was only identified by forensics using a blood sample, would "certainly indicate" it had been there for longer than initial reports of two weeks suggested.
Although Michael's mother could have accessed her landing by following another neighbor who had opened the door with his or her swipe key, sources consider it unlikely.
A source, who confirmed Michael was not on an at-risk register, said: "Records of the fob keys so far show that she didn't swipe the door to her balcony for a month."
Margo MacDonald, an independent MSP, said: "I am not surprised to learn she may have lain much longer than a fortnight. As soon as I read reports of two weeks I wondered how the body could have decomposed so badly in this short amount of tim.."
Fiona Hyslop, shadow minister of education and children, said: "This is a worrying development. Vulnerable children need different departments in the council as well as other agencies talking to each other.
"One of the major criticisms is that there is yet to be funding given from the Executive for an IT system to let this happen so that problems can be flagged up with other departments."
MP Mark Lazarowicz, whose ward for Edinburgh North and Leith covers the Fort Estate where Michael was found, last night said he was "very concerned" Michael could have been in the flat for even longer than two weeks.
A spokesman for Edinburgh Council said: "We are still checking to find the last time a key fob was used by Anne-Marie."
Michael was spending a seventh night at the Sick Children's Hospital in Edinburgh last night where he is being treated for dehydration. He had been unable to alert anyone to his situation as he could not reach the handle of the front door and did not know how to use the telephone.
He is understood to have survived on crisps, fruit, cheese, yogurts and cartons of Ribena and apple juice.
Neighbors said there were bluebottles and a strong smell in their own homes, which they have now discovered was coming from the decomposing body.
The Scotsman also learned earlier this week that a neighbour raised concerns about the whereabouts of Ms McGarrity with the concierge of the council-owned block of flats two weeks ago.
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=2127282005
An investigation into the electronic keys used at the Leith housing estate where Michael McGarrity was rescued show his mother, Anne-Marie McGarrity, failed to enter or leave the complex for more than four weeks.
The once "chubby" boy was very dehydrated and described as "looking like a skeleton" when he was found at the council flat last Saturday night.
Politicians last night said the state of the woman's badly decomposed body, which was only identified by forensics using a blood sample, would "certainly indicate" it had been there for longer than initial reports of two weeks suggested.
Although Michael's mother could have accessed her landing by following another neighbor who had opened the door with his or her swipe key, sources consider it unlikely.
A source, who confirmed Michael was not on an at-risk register, said: "Records of the fob keys so far show that she didn't swipe the door to her balcony for a month."
Margo MacDonald, an independent MSP, said: "I am not surprised to learn she may have lain much longer than a fortnight. As soon as I read reports of two weeks I wondered how the body could have decomposed so badly in this short amount of tim.."
Fiona Hyslop, shadow minister of education and children, said: "This is a worrying development. Vulnerable children need different departments in the council as well as other agencies talking to each other.
"One of the major criticisms is that there is yet to be funding given from the Executive for an IT system to let this happen so that problems can be flagged up with other departments."
MP Mark Lazarowicz, whose ward for Edinburgh North and Leith covers the Fort Estate where Michael was found, last night said he was "very concerned" Michael could have been in the flat for even longer than two weeks.
A spokesman for Edinburgh Council said: "We are still checking to find the last time a key fob was used by Anne-Marie."
Michael was spending a seventh night at the Sick Children's Hospital in Edinburgh last night where he is being treated for dehydration. He had been unable to alert anyone to his situation as he could not reach the handle of the front door and did not know how to use the telephone.
He is understood to have survived on crisps, fruit, cheese, yogurts and cartons of Ribena and apple juice.
Neighbors said there were bluebottles and a strong smell in their own homes, which they have now discovered was coming from the decomposing body.
The Scotsman also learned earlier this week that a neighbour raised concerns about the whereabouts of Ms McGarrity with the concierge of the council-owned block of flats two weeks ago.
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=2127282005