More tragedies like Brandon are waiting to happen, warns Goldie

Speaking out the day after Robert Cunningham was convicted of killing the 23-month-old in a Dundee flat, Ms Goldie said similar tragedies would continue to happen unless action was taken to combat a "parenting void" in Scotland.

And Ms Goldie warned: "Enough is enough. Just as Scotland has found a new political will to tackle the scourge of drugs abuse, we now need to look ourselves in the face and admit that we, all of us, and we are Scotland's society, have failed and are failing too many children in Scotland."

But she stressed: "When cases such as this in Dundee arise, it would be all to easy to rush to instant judgment – to blame the social workers, the neighbours, the system."

She told the annual conference of the local government body Cosla: "We must resist such a knee-jerk reaction. There are no easy answers. It will take a generation or longer to really tackle our broken society. But we cannot hide from the awful truth any more. We must face up to the facts. Sadly, there are more potential tragedies, just like Brandon Muir, waiting to happen."

It was revealed yesterday that Brandon was just two days away from a possible decision to remove him from the home he shared with his heroin-addicted prostitute mother and the man who killed him.

Senior social work officials at Dundee City Council are refusing to reveal how much the authorities knew about the circumstances in which the little boy was living before he met his death at the hands of Cunningham, the boyfriend of Brandon's mother, Heather Boyd.

But Alan Baird, the authority's social work director, claimed: "If further information had been made available to us then perhaps Brandon might still be alive today."

The extent of the information which social work services and child-protection agencies held about both Cunningham and Boyd, and their care of Brandon, is expected to be the central focus of an independent inquiry into the tragedy, which is to be headed by Peter Wilson, the former chief constable of Fife Constabulary.

Brandon died at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee on 16 March last year after Cunningham struck him so hard he ruptured his intestines, leaving the boy to die in agony. Doctors identified at least 40 injuries on his body. Mr Baird has confirmed a case conference to discuss Brandon's welfare was due to take place on 18 March. One option could have been to remove the boy from his home.

Harriet Dempster, the vice-president of the Association of Directors of Social Work, confirmed that immediate action could have been taken.

She said: "The decision to seek emergency powers to remove a child does not need to await a child-protection conference if indeed the agency or individual is able to present just cause to the sheriff. The application, once granted, can be implemented immediately."

Cunningham, who moved in with Boyd 18 days before Brandon's death, was convicted of culpable homicide. He is due to be sentenced on 31 March.

Heather Boyd: "I was a good mum. I still am"

The mother of Brandon Muir last night insisted his death was not her fault.

Heather Boyd described herself as a "good mum" and said she would never have left her son with former boyfriend Robert Cunningham – who was convicted of killing the 23-month-old earlier this week – if she had known what he was like with children.

Brandon died from a ruptured intestine after being assaulted by Cunningham, 23, at the Dundee flat he shared with Miss Boyd. Cunningham was cleared of the child's murder, but a jury at the High Court in Glasgow found him guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide.

Miss Boyd, 23, was originally charged with her son's culpable homicide by failing to get him medical help, but was acquitted after the judge ruled there was no case to answer.

She said: "I was a good mum. I still am.

If I had known what Robert was like with bairns I would never have gone near him. I just wish I had known about him hitting Brandon."

Miss Boyd also said she was "sickened" by what Cunningham had done and never wanted to see him again.

A post-mortem examination on Brandon revealed up to 40 injuries including bruises, scratches and four fractured ribs. An investigation into the circumstances leading to his death had been commissioned by the Dundee Children and Young Persons Protection Committee.

Cunningham will be sentenced later this month.