An internal Department of Family and Child Services probe into the circumstances surrounding the Tamerry case is only beginning now because emotions from the case could have hampered the investigation.

Ten-month-old A' Maya Tamerry died over three years ago from severe malnutrition.

Dentist Amenemhat Waset Amen-Ra Tamerry, 48, and his wife Maatkai Hatsheput Tamerry, 36, were convicted in June of unlawfully killing their daughter A' Maya. The father received five years imprisonment.

The mother was sentenced to one-year imprisonment with time already spent to be taken into consideration, followed by three years probation and regular psychiatric assessments.

Department Director Alfred Maybury said yesterday the internal investigation was not done before or during the Tamerry trial because the department felt it was important for persons involved in the review to be focused on the issues that led to the situation, rather than what was or was not happening with the case.

Mr. Maybury said: “Now that the court proceedings have been completed, the review can be less emotional and more focused on ensuring that this situation is prevented from occurring again.”

The departments involvement with the Tamerrys began when paediatrician Dr. Alexander Barron reported the family to CFS because of their constant missed appointments and their disagreement with his warning that A'Maya would die if she did not gain weight.

In the first weeks after A'Maya's birth the parents constantly skipped weigh-in sessions at their home with Government nurses so CFS was granted an emergency 28 day care order from the court at the end of May 2000 to remove the child from her home but they never executed it.

CFS stopped their involvement with the case at the end of June 2000 when A'Maya came under the care of paediatrician Dr. June Hill.

By press time Minister of Health, Patrice Minors did not respond to why the investigation of CFS is beginning three years after A'Maya's death.