Marie-Thérèse Kouao

with Carl Manning

November 1998:  7-year-old Victoria Adjo Climbié leaves Abobo in the Ivory Coast to live with her aunt, Marie-Therese Kouao in Paris. Kouao takes the girl to London after she is pursued by French authorities over benefit fraud, and the school where Victoria is call in the child safety team after concerns that Victoria is being abused.

June 1999, On arrival in England, Victoria's name is given as Anna because of the fake identity on the false passport used to get her into Europe.
Kouao gets a job as a hospital cleaner and the pair live in a hostel in north London.

July 1999, Victoria is on a bus with her aunt when they meet Carl Manning, a bus driver.
Kouao and Victoria, move into Carl Manning's home in Tottenham, north London, within days abuse has started.

14th July 1999, Victoria makes the first of many visits to the Central Middlesex Hospital.
The doctor accepts Kouao's story that Victoria has inflicted the wounds on herself by scratching at scabies sores. Doctors alert child protection authorities as a precaution. Haringey social worker Lisa Arthurworrey and PC Karen Jones are assigned to the case. They later cancel a home visit scheduled for 4th August after hearing about the scabies.

24th July 1999, Victoria is taken to North Middlesex Hospital's casualty department with scalding to her head and face. Doctors immediately suspect that the injuries have been deliberately inflicted. Kouao tells Lisa Arthuworrey and PC Jones that she poured hot water over Victoria to try and stop her scratching her scalp.

6th August 1999, Victoria is discharged from the hospital and is collected by Kouao after her explanation for the injuries is accepted by child protection authorities

1st November 1999, Kouao tells social workers that Carl Manning has sexually assaulted Victoria. She withdraws the accusation the next day.

24th February 2000, Victoria is rushed to North Middlesex Hospital suffering from a combination of malnutrition and hypothermia. Doctors transfer her to the intensive care ward at St Mary's Hospital in west London.

25th February 2000, 9-year-old Victoria Adjo Climbié is declared dead at 3.15pm at St Mary's Hospital.
Carl Manning and Marie Therese Kouao are charged with the murder of Victoria Climbie. During police interviews both claim that Victoria was possessed.

November 2000, Manning denies murder but pleads guilty to child cruelty and manslaughter. Kouao denies all charges.

Dr Nathaniel Carey, the Home Office pathologist who examined her body, found 128 separate injuries and scars, most of them cigarette burns, he described the injuries as "the worst case of child abuse I've encountered".
During the trial the prosecution made it clear that the blame for the young girl death as not only down to the accused but also to social services and child protection.

12th January 2001, Both accused are found guilty of murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Victoria Climbié was repeatedly beaten, burnt with cigarettes and scalding water, tied up and forced to sleep naked in a bath with only a bin liner to cover her.

April 2001, The government announces a public inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbié.

2002, at the public enquiry Carl Manning apologises, saying he was sorry, and sickened by what they had put the little girl through. Kouao, on the other hand, showed no remorse.

See the public Enquiry HERE >>

See a video of this case below, or, on our YouTube channel HERE >>

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