Poppi Worthington has been 'denied justice': Mother demands answers into daughter's death after the girl's father refuses to answer 252 questions at her inquest despite 'clear evidence' he sexually assaulted the 13-month-old

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Poppi Worthington is being 'denied justice' by police who missed 'clear evidence' her father sexually abused her before she died, an inquest heard today.

The 13-month-old was found unresponsive and bleeding from her bottom at home in Barrow-in-Furness in 2012 and could not be saved.

Last year a judge ruled that her father Paul Worthington inflicted a penetrative sexual assault on his own daughter - but he has never been prosecuted after police failed to collect vital evidence including her sheets, nappy and Peppa Pig pyjama bottoms.

At Kendal Coroner's Court her father refused to answer 252 questions including why the had his daughter's DNA on his genitals using 'Rule 22' - the right not to answer in case it is incriminating.

Poppi's mother believes her daughter has been 'denied justice' by police whose errors scuppered any chance of cementing the cause of the toddler's 'troubling' death, the inquest heard today.

Poppi Worthington is being 'denied justice' by bungling police who missed 'clear evidence' her father sexually abused her before her 'troubling death', her inquest heard

Last year a judge ruled that her father Paul Worthington (left at the inquest and right at a previous hearing) inflicted a penetrative sexual assault on his own daughter - but he has never been prosecuted after police failed to collect vital evidence

Gillian Irving QC, representing her, said: 'If it was not such a tragedy, one could best describe the response of Cumbria Constabulary to Poppi's death as a comedy of errors.'

Poppi Worthington collapsed at home with injuries a pathologist suspected were caused by a sexual abuse, Kendal Coroner's Court was told

Ms Irving agreed with legal submissions from Mr Worthington's lawyers that there is not enough evidence for the coroner to conclude Poppi was unlawfully killed - but there was 'clear evidence' that Poppi was subject to a 'penetrative anal assault'.

She continued: 'It is fair to say, all the experts accepted that some event - and I use that word 'event' in the broadest possible terms - that some event happened to this child, in life', referring to bleeding and injuries to her bottom.

'The key protagonist exercised his right under Regulation 22 not to give evidence. Given the full inquest was sought on his behalf, it is disappointing he's chosen to hide behind the veil of Rule 22.' 

Poppi Worthington collapsed at home with injuries a pathologist suspected were caused by a sexual abuse, Kendal Coroner's Court was told.

The otherwise healthy toddler woke up screaming at around 5.30am on December 12 2012 at the family home in Barrow, Cumbria, and her father, Paul Worthington, put her in his bed and went to get a fresh nappy, the inquest heard.

When he returned she had settled but five or 10 minutes later he reached over and she was limp or floppy and he ran downstairs and the child's mother called an ambulance.

Paramedics carried out a 'scoop and run', delivering the apparently lifeless girl to Furness General Hospital at 6.11am but she never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead shortly after 7am.

Medical noted the child was bleeding from her bottom.

Paul Worthington was rushed into the inquest by police and is also in a taxpayer-funded protection programmed after receiving threats

Police failed to take the sheets from the bed where Poppi was found bleeding and unresponsive (pictured) in a series of blunders 

A judge later concluded that Mr Worthington probably sexually assaulted his daughter by anal penetration shortly before her death, while ruling on family court proceedings involving the family.

On Thursday, at the second inquest into Poppi's death, after the first was quashed by the High Court as 'irregular', lawyers made final submissions to Senior Coroner for Cumbria David Roberts, who must rule on how she came by her death.

Pathologist Dr Alison Armour (pictured), who examined the toddler's body after she died, told the inquest she suspected Poppi had been penetrated in her bottom before her death

The inquest has heard 10 days of evidence from an array of expert medical witnesses, with Poppi's cause of death remaining 'unascertained'.

The post-mortem examination findings of Dr Alison Armour, that Poppi had been penetrated and had tears in her bottom, have been hotly disputed.

Mr Worthington, who denies any wrongdoing, refused to answer questions 252 times, citing his right to remain silent under Rule 22 of the Coroners (Inquests) Rules 2013, that he was not obliged to answer any questions tending to incriminate him.

The inquest also heard that an investigation by Cumbria Police was so botched that vital evidence was lost - and so exactly what happened to Poppi will never be known and no-one will be charged with any offence. 

Leslie Thomas QC, representing Mr Worthington, who is now in hiding, said a conclusion of unlawful killing, or that Poppi died of natural causes, could not be reached on the evidence.

He said the evidence of Dr Armour was 'tainted' and 'unsafe' and submitted that an open verdict was appropriate - as there is not enough evidence to reach any other conclusion.

Mr Thomas added: 'Whilst the whole purpose has been a search for the truth, that search for the truth has been impaired by a number of failings.'

Coroner Mr Roberts adjourned the hearing until noon on January 12, when he will deliver his conclusions.

Detective Inspector Amanda Sadler (pictured) had no experience of leading an inquiry into child death, and was not qualified to be a Senior Investigating Officer when Poppi died

Judge on Poppi's injuries: 'The only person who could realistically have done this to her was her father'

Mr Justice Peter Jackson (pictured) ruled Paul Worthington had brutally abused his daughter who died in hospital hours later

Details of what happened to Poppi Worthington were only revealed for first time in January 2016 with the publication of findings by High Court family judge Mr Justice Peter Jackson.

Poppi died from injuries sustained shortly after her father, who had earlier been watching pornography on his computer, took her into his bed at the family home in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

The family court judge ruled Paul Worthington had brutally abused his daughter who died in hospital hours later.

But a catalogue of blunders by police, social workers and medical staff mean that despite the legal ruling Worthington, 49, is unlikely to face any criminal action without new evidence. 

The supermarket worker, denies any wrongdoing.  

In his ruling Mr Justice Jackson said: 'P [Poppi] suffered injuries causing substantial bleeding from the anus and that she collapsed for no plausible reason. The only explanation for those stubborn facts is that she suffered anal penetration and the only person who could realistically have done this to her was her father.

He added: 'I find that the father perpetrated a penetrative anal assault on P [Poppi], either using his penis or some other unidentified object'.

A statement released by Mr Worthington's lawyers said afterwards': 'Mr Worthington does not accept the findings of the court'.

The ruling was released months after a fresh inquest was ordered into the death of 13-month-old Poppi.

The decision meant more than two years of official silence over the case would be broken.

Poppi died in December 2012 but the public were told nothing about what happened to her or how social workers and police handled the affair.

There was an initial seven-minute inquest in October 2015 during which Cumbria coroner Ian Smith gave no information about the circumstances leading to the girl's death. It simply found that her death was 'unascertained'. 

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