A baby girl who was abused and then murdered by her sadistic father may have survived if 30 health and social workers had not missed vital signs that she was being ill-treated, a damning report found yesterday.

Jessica Randall died at 54 days old after 30 members of staff failed to begin child protection proceedings despite signs that she was being abused.

The baby had suffered a litany of injuries at the hands of her father, Andrew, including broken ribs and a fractured skull.

An inquiry into her death concluded that social workers and hospital staff had failed to identify Jessica as a child at risk, even though she had been admitted to hospital with injuries. However, the Safeguarding Children Board for Northamptonshire stopped short of blaming any individuals for her death.

Jessica had been born five weeks premature in September 2005 and suffered a congenital heart defect.

When she was taken to Kettering General Hospital, suffering from “strange crying and twitching”, the doctor who saw her failed to record his suspicions of child abuse properly in his notes. Doctors had ordered tests to see if she had been shaken or struck but, when the results came back negative, no further action was taken.

Randall, 33, was jailed for life by Northampton Crown Court in March last year after Jessica’s death in November 2005. The court heard that Randall — who had fantasised about serial killers and been fascinated by horror films since he was 12 — had probably sexually abused her.

Jailing him for life, Judge Charles Wide, QC, said: “I am quite satisfied there was a sexual element, coupled and inextricably bound up with the violence.

“Even if it were not, one can only look at the aggravating features of this case; a tiny child, abuse lasting the whole of her few weeks of life, the murder and the culmination of continual acts of abuse, premeditated in the sense of being daily thought about, and the most gross breach of trust that one can imagine, a father murdering a tiny, vulnerable, utterly dependent baby.”

Northamptonshire Teaching Primary Care Trust said that Jessica had been seen by 30 health workers at the trust but not one of them had activated child protection procedures.

The report concluded: “At no stage was Jessica Randall recognised as a child at risk and in need of protection. Consequently, those procedures which were designed to protect Jessica Randall were never activated.

“In recognising that opportunities had been missed to identify signs of abuse we must conclude that the outcome for Jessica Randall may have been different had these signs been acted on, as this would have created opportunities for assessment and involvement of other agencies by activating protective procedures.”

About 2,000 staff at the hospital have since undergone training to help them to identify signs of child abuse. A spokeswoman for the hospital said that there was no similarity between the case of Jessica Randall and Victoria Climbié, who died despite being known to be at risk from her great aunt and her partner.

Philip Hollobone, the Conservative MP for Kettering, said that health bosses should take responsibility for Jessica’s death.

“I think the public will be amazed that the report has concluded that no individual was responsible, but if that is the case then those in charge of the processes, those in charge of the organisations, need to step up and take responsibility. All too often these reports blame collective failure but no one’s job seems to be on the line and there’s a huge problem with the lack of accountability in the way vulnerable children are looked after.”

Natalie Cronin, head of policy and public affairs at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said: “This shocking case is an example of how babies are the most vulnerable group when it comes to homicide.

“The number of babies killed at the hands of their parents or carers has not reduced for 30 years. It is everyone’s responsibility to be vigilant to signs of abuse and report any concerns that they have.”

Times Recommends

• Donor organ allowed child’s own heart to heal
• Michael Jackson: Not the final chapter
• Brüno toned down for 15 rating