REMEMBERING CARLA

Carla Nicole Bone was only thirteen months old when she died. At her age, Carla should have been learning at her own pace, exploring the world around her and reaching new milestones as she became ready for them. Instead, the fact that she was not yet walking became an excuse for adults responsible for caring for her to hurt her.  Carla was still a baby. She deserved patience, protection and the freedom to grow and develop without fear.

CARLA’S STORY

During the final five months of Carla’s life, she was subjected to repeated physical abuse by her mother’s boyfriend, Alexander “Sandy” McClure. The abuse included slapping Carla, force feeding her and attempting to force her to stand against a wall because she was not yet walking. McClure later described some of his earlier treatment of Carla as discipline. What began as physical punishment escalated into increasingly serious violence against a child who was far too young to defend herself. On May 13, 2002, at Conland Farm Cottage near Huntly in Aberdeenshire, McClure again became frustrated with Carla. The attack lasted approximately twenty minutes. McClure grabbed Carla around the throat and lifted her from the floor. He threw her down and later grabbed her by the ankles, swinging her upside down and repeatedly striking her head against the walls and floor. Carla’s mother, Andrea Bone, was present during the attack. She did not stop him. Carla suffered catastrophic head injuries. She was taken approximately forty miles to the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, but doctors could not save her. Carla died from the injuries inflicted during the attack. She was thirteen months old.

SYSTEM FAILURES & WARNING SIGNS

Carla and her family were known to health and social work services in both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire before her death. Members of Carla’s extended family later maintained that they had repeatedly raised concerns about her safety. Carla’s grandmother said she had contacted social services numerous times because she believed Carla was being abused. Following Carla’s death, the North East of Scotland Child Protection Committee commissioned an independent review examining the involvement of health and social work agencies during her life. The review did not conclude that professionals could have predicted or prevented Carla’s murder. It found no professional or interagency deficiency that directly contributed to her death. However, the review did identify areas where child protection practice could be improved, including communication and the sharing of information between agencies. Carla’s family strongly disagreed with the conclusion that her death could not have been foreseen or prevented. They believed the concerns they had raised should have resulted in stronger intervention. Her case subsequently contributed to scrutiny of child protection practices in northeast Scotland and to efforts to improve coordination and information sharing among agencies responsible for protecting vulnerable children.

JUSTICE FOR CARLA

Alexander McClure was prosecuted for Carla’s murder. Evidence presented at trial described months of abusive treatment culminating in the violent attack that killed her. McClure was convicted of murder. At sentencing, the judge described his treatment of Carla as cruel and unnatural and imposed a life sentence with a minimum term of thirteen years before he could be considered for release. Andrea Bone was also held criminally responsible. The jury found that she had failed in her duty to protect her daughter while McClure attacked Carla. She was convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to three years in a young offenders institution, followed by one year of supervision after her release.

 

Alexander “Sandy” McClure

Relationship to Carla: Mother’s Boyfriend

Conviction(s): Murder

Sentence: Life imprisonment with a minimum term of 13 years

 

Andrea Bone

Relationship to Carla: Mother

Conviction(s): Culpable homicide

Sentence: 3 years in a young offenders institution, followed by 1 year of supervision

FOREVER REMEMBERED

Carla Nicole Bone was thirteen months old. She was at an age when every child develops differently, and not yet being able to walk was never something for which she should have been punished. The adults around Carla were responsible for meeting her needs, encouraging her development and keeping her safe. She should have been given the time to take her first steps when she was ready. Instead, her life ended before she had the chance. More than two decades later, Carla’s name remains part of the history of child protection in Scotland and the continuing effort to understand how vulnerable children can be better protected. But before Carla was the subject of a criminal trial or an independent child protection review, she was a little girl. And that is who deserves to be remembered. Abuse Angels remembers Carla Bone. Remembered. Honored. Never Forgotten.