what's the answer?

This morning one of the teaching assistants said to me – child X says it hurts to sit down and she’s walking very slowly, she’s definitely in pain. She said her father hit her with his belt, am I allowed to look? And of course we’re not allowed to look especially below clothes (or ask direct questions). Yes I said make sure there are 2 of you. She returned within 5 minutes white faced and in tears. She has been flayed she said. Take her to the medical centre I said and of course we’re not allowed to do that either. We phoned social services who said they were really busy but they would add her to the case load. I’ll phone the police then I said, no they said we do that, so I phoned the police. The Doc at the med centre phoned the child protection unit but was told there was no-one available. I phoned the police again. I need a child protection officer otherwise I shall be bringing child X home I said and I don’t care how illegal it is. Like (slow) magic, a child protection police office and a social worker came and took child X to hospital. Child X is very lucky, despite her injuries, because at our school 2 of us have high ranking police at our beck and call. We can threaten to bring home waifs and strays and be extremely difficult if they don’t move mountains. And of course they did, bless them, but normally they wouldn’t even know about such a case. So what happens to the children who have to rely on the system eh? It stinks that’s what. Child X would have been sent home to her abusive parent until her case came to the top of the pile. In a week or two, maybe.