Logan Mwangi safeguarding review reveals missed chances to protect him

Logan Mwangi’s body was found in the River Ogmore on 31 July 2021, shortly after a 999 call made by his mother. A child safeguarding practice review commissioned by the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Safeguarding Board and published in November 2022 found agencies missed repeated chances to protect the five-year-old, including a failure to report injuries he suffered months earlier.

Logan was killed at his home in Sarn, Bridgend county, South Wales. Three people were later convicted of his murder at Cardiff Crown Court: Angharad Williamson, John Cole and a 14-year-old boy. Williamson, who was 31, received a life sentence with a minimum term of 28 years in June 2022; Cole, who was 40, received a minimum term of 29 years; the teenager was given a minimum term of 15 years.

Trial evidence described Logan’s injuries as catastrophic. The court heard he suffered 56 external injuries and severe internal damage, comparable to the effects of a high-speed road crash or a fall from height. Inquest evidence recorded a broken collarbone, internal head injury and a torn liver, and pointed to a violent or unnatural death.

NSPCC Cymru called for a child safeguarding practice review after the guilty verdicts. The resulting review found missed opportunities to intervene before his death, including the failure to report injuries seen months earlier.

Williamson later sought to challenge her case further, but the Court of Appeal refused permission for her to appeal her murder conviction.