A baby girl named Asiah Kudi, who was left alone for six days by her mother Verphy Kudi, passed away in her crib. The mother had gone out partying and left her baby unattended in their Brighton flat. The inquest into Asiah’s de*th revealed that social workers had expressed concerns about her well-being in the weeks leading up to the tragedy. During December 5-11, 2019, Kudi traveled to various places across the country, including London, Coventry, and finally Solihull, which was more than 150 miles away from her neglected child. She went on this trip to celebrate her 18th birthday with friends.
After being away for five days, 21 hours, and 58 minutes, Verphy Kudi returned to the flat and discovered her daughter Asiah lifeless in her crib. The tragic cause of the baby’s de*th, which occurred in December 2019, was determined to be a result of dehydration and starvation, compounded by the effects of flu.
In August 2021, Verphy Kudi was sentenced to nine years in prison after confessing to one count of mansl*ughter at Lewes Crown Court. During the inquest into the de*th of Asiah, it was revealed that social workers had expressed concerns about the care provided to the child in the weeks leading up to the tragic incident.
Asiah Kudi
In August 2021, Kudi, who is now 21 years old, received a nine-year prison sentence at Lewes Crown Court in East Sussex. She pleaded guilty to mansl*ughter.
A series of events occurred at the supported housing unit, Gochers Court in Brighton, where Kudi and Asiah lived, raising concerns about Kudi’s ability to care for her daughter. Staff at the unit contacted social workers after observing CCTV footage of Kudi leaving her baby unattended at home. The footage captured Kudi and her friends frequently entering and exiting the unit while seemingly consuming alcohol and smoking cigarettes.
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On October 11, 2019, around 3 am, Kudi was seen smoking outside the housing unit for a period of 15 to 30 minutes. A week later, she left her daughter with her mother, Asia Batrane, around midnight, before going out to party with friends. In the early hours of the morning, CCTV footage showed Kudi being carried back to her flat by a male friend while being visibly intoxicated and largely unconscious.
Later that day, around midday, Ms. Batrane returned Asiah to Kudi at Gochers Court. Jakki Cahill, Kudi’s social worker, described both incidents as concerning. As a result, Kudi was prohibited from having guests for one week.
Efforts were made to refer the case to Front Door for Families, a specialized organization in child safeguarding. However, the referral was never completed. During the inquest, it was revealed that Kudi was allowed to go out in the evening once or twice a week as long as she ensured proper care for Asiah, according to the terms of her residency at the housing unit.
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Unfortunately, Kudi had a habit of lying about her whereabouts, not only to social workers and staff at Gocher Court but also to her own mother, Ms. Batrane. James Burton, representing Brighton and Hove City Council, questioned Ms. Cahill, emphasizing that Kudi was not trustworthy when it came to questions about her location. He asked Ms. Cahill what she would have done if she had been aware that Kudi had left her daughter unattended for a significant period of time. Ms. Cahill responded that she would have contacted Front Door for Families and raised it as a concern for the child’s protection.
It later emerged that Kudi had left Asiah alone in the flat on multiple occasions, at least twelve times. Kudi gave birth to Asiah when she was 16, in March 2018, and both mother and baby were still under the care of social services. They resided in one of the eight flats at Gocher Court, a supported housing unit in Brighton managed by YMCA DownsLink, where staff were available 24 hours a day.
On December 5, 2019, Asiah was left unattended in her cot without any food or water while her mother went out partying.
On the day her daughter tragically d*ed, Kudi was engaged in various activities. She traveled over 150 miles away to London, Coventry, and Solihull to celebrate her 18th birthday with friends. During this time, while Asiah was left alone at home, Kudi was active on social media trying to sell concert tickets and pursuing her own modeling aspirations.
When Kudi finally returned to her flat after her daughter had been home alone for five days, 21 hours, and 58 minutes, she did not immediately contact emergency services. Instead, she was observed emptying bags into a communal bin area before going back to her flat. It was more than two hours later that she dialed 999 at 6:06 pm, informing the call handler that her daughter was not waking up.
Kudi informed the paramedics that Asiah had been sleeping all day, and she had given her milk and Calpol before allowing her to continue sleeping. Paramedics noticed signs of rigor mortis in Asiah and promptly rushed her to the hospital, where she was pronounced de*d.
During the trial, it was revealed that in the three months leading up to Asiah’s de*th, Kudi had left her alone in the flat on at least six other occasions, including one instance where she was left alone for two entire days.
Following the incident, the Brighton and Hove Safeguarding Children Partnership conducted a safeguarding review, which concluded that Asiah’s de*th could not have been predicted, as the staff at YMCA Downslink believed Kudi to be a capable and caring parent. However, the independent report from the review made 17 recommendations, including implementing a system of daily checks at YMCA Downslink, regularly reviewing every young parent in supported accommodation, and enhancing the assessment of risks.
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