I shouldn't have listened!! :(

[piskieinboots]

I don't think that 'keeping families together at all cost' is an option any more - that cost is too high in such cases as Baby P

[Tam]

It's a great pity that there are not many neighbours about now. "Eastenders" and "Coronation Street" seem to have replaced them. This is one of the most horrendous cases I have ever heard of, but an old fashioned neighbour would surely have been aware of what was going on.

[maytreefrannie]

We didn't get this new item here so I hadn't heard it before reading this thread - I can only agree with you all, it's heartrending that a child can be neglected and abused and no one noticed.

[Flummery]

Problem is, Maytreefranny, that they DID notice - the child was under the so-called care of the authorities and it still resulted in his death, poor little soul. This morning's news is that a social worker in Haringey 'blew the whistle' and was sacked and now has a gagging order on her. She wrote to, and was passed around, various government departments back to where she started and nothing was followed up. 'They' have said that they 'followed prcedures'. If they did, the procedures need changing!

[jackie j]

Now another two have died because it would seem the mother didnt get help. When will this stop, IN THIS DAY AND AGE i WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THESE THINGS COULD AND SHOULD BE PREVENTED.
When I was about 5 or 6 two sisters that I went to school with were suffocated by their father, we used to go to their house to play.
As a society we shun away and are too afraid to speak up for fear of reprisals, too afraid to help in case we are accused. We help our elderly neighbours so why not the younger ones who maybe have no family around them. Its easy to say on the phone as I have many times that I am ok but in reality I have been in a state, not that my kids were ever at risk, but if the person on the other end had seen me they would have known how I truly felt.
We need to speak out for these little ones that cant speak for themselves.

[Noodle]

I totally agree and can't belielve that this has happened. The suffering was so intense by this little baby. I think people are all too quick to turn a blind eye, even within families.

My sister struggled after the birth of her son (not that he was EVER at any risk) and as a single parent found it very isolating and depressing to be on her own so much, with a very demanding baby. She moved from Sheffield to Norfolk for 4 months, while she got herself together, living with my mum with all the family pitching in and helping out where we could.
This meant that she can now live on her own and has found ways to cope with the isolation (she goes to 4 baby groups a week!) My friends are often suprised that we all dealt with it in this way. My reaction is, what was the other option? Let her struggle on her own, families shouldn't let that happen!

Why are families and friends so unwilling to help?

[bluemoon]

the charges being dropped beggers belief really, on what grounds can they concievable be dropped?
ok, murder if no intent to kill, but surely that leaves them open for a manslaughter charge?
maybe there should be a charge invented just for this circumstance?
i am sorry, i just dont GET how this can go unpunished, even those social workers involved aided and abetted by not doing their job properly.

I don't get it either, any adult who raises a hand to a defenceless baby is guilty of murder if the child dies. No excuses, a child that age simply can't be expected to survive a sustained attack by people who are so much bigger than him, and these are the people who are supposed to be protecting and nurturing him. Even if he had the necessary language skills where's he going to turn for help? I'm sickened. I look at my granddaughter who is just a couple of months younger than baby P and I just don't understand how anyone could want to do anything other than love and care for a child of that age (or any age, come to that).

[squashysu]

This whole Baby P sad situation has so so so got to me, especially as i work with children and i am at Uni learning about the "Every Child Matters" bill!!! What a laughing stock of this bill !!!

Victoria Clumbie (sorry cant spell her name) dies and they make this bill which states that every agency must work together - well what a joke that is, because even now they dont!!! I know this, I live it everyday in home life and work life!!!

Kids are dying, SS arent the only ones to blame!! The childminder has a duty to report any findings, this is all about safeguarding children and we are not doing it ! WHY!!!! The Childrens Act is supposed to work, but this also fails.

My sis is a Social Worker and has worked in child protection for many years, it is a heartbreaking job, she only had so many powers in order to remove kids, there arent enough foster carers to cope or care for these children, there are more foreign social workers than others in this country, there is no incentive to become one. They do not know our country's rules and rights! Then they move onto the next job!!! It is a disaster!!

As you know my sis has now moved to NZ and is a SW on a child protection team over there, she said that job is also stressful and just as bad as over here!

The whole Baby P story is a disgrace, this whole country let that child down, the system killed her! When will anyone get their act in gear!!!

Sorry my view, but i am just as distressed as anyone x