Slateford Road tragedy: Demands for liaison over at-risk cases

THERE have been calls for an inquiry into why social workers were only alerted to a "real emergency" involving Theresa Riggi and her three children at 3.05pm on Wednesday - five minutes after she had leapt from the balcony.

The council's children and families department received a faxed court ruling ordering them to "supervise the residence" of the twin boys and their younger sister. Just minutes before, a 999 call was made after Ms Riggi jumped from the second floor of the Slateford Road property with her children lying dead inside.

The 24-hour delay in alerting council officials today sparked demands for police to be alerted immediately to civil court cases where children's welfare may be at risk.

A warrant was issued on Tuesday by Lady Clark after Mrs Riggi failed to appear at a custody hearing, and the order was passed to the Messenger At Arms, an independent firm given responsibility to trace the family. But Lothian and Borders Police had already traced American Mrs Riggi and her children to the Slateford Road address on July 21 after they went missing from their home in Skene, Aberdeenshire, last month.

Gillian Tee, director of the city council's children and families department, said: "Prior to (Wednesday] we had no knowledge of the family or of their presence in Edinburgh. We received a phone call on (Wednesday] afternoon from lawyers and the court's ruling was then faxed through to us at 3.05pm.

"The police notified us of the incident at Slateford Road at 3pm on Wednesday."