How can parents do this?

I hope they are locked up for life!

I cried too, what a tragic little lad. Life imprisonment is too good for those scum parents. I have never felt so strongly that the death penalty should be introduced for some crimes. As they have filmed their crimes they should not get away with it but considering the state of the justice system they’ll probably be out after a few years. There is no such thing as a prison justice system either where the bad but good hearted prisoners will do them over either unfortunately. I think they should have done to them what they did to the poor little boy. Rant over but I’m still upset and furious.

“Eye for an eye” and all that! How can a mother, of all people, do this? Words fail me!

I just can't bring myself to read it. We've seen so many of these cases, going right back to little Maria Colwell in the 1970s, and we're always assured that "lessons have been learned". But here were are, 40 years later and children are still being abused, murdered and failed by their guardian's.

Sorry 50 years later. Which makes it even worse.

I was thinking about some of the deaths I have read about recently of young children at the hands of biological parents/step-parents, and even two deaths I read about of people who had adopted a child and then killed them.
I read about the boy you are talking about a few weeks ago and thought how horrible his life had been it just does not bear thinking about.
I am waiting to hear about the 5 year old from Wales who was pulled from a stream in Wales dead. His biological mother her partner and the partners 14 year old son are all accused of murder. A call had been put in at 6am to police by his mother saying she had found he had gone missing from the family home. I think it is disgusting that the actual parent
can cause harm and suffering to their young children.
I hope all parents /step parents that do this to their children
suffer and are haunted by what they have done until they die.
Hopefully they never get out of prison either.

Absolutely heart breaking that poor, poor little boy what he went through doesn't bear thinking about. There are pictures of him enjoying happier days, in a paddling pool and smiling with the father wearing his football strip.........how did it get to this? did the father fall under the malign influence of his lover, who shockingly had four children of her own Another similar case at the moment, a woman and her female lover accused of killing 16 month old baby girl, another case where the little girl was treated badly by the partner Achingly sad, I think in both cases the children were happy in their grandparents' care.

Another harrowing story, two parents stabbed to death by neighbour over a parking scrap.........leaving their very young children orphans. Diabolical

Appalling. I have no words.

I can’t bring myself to read it, I just cannot understand how people can do this kind of thing, the death penalty should be introduced

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

It is so tragic , I am unable to read the full report. WHY are such acts of cruelty still happening!!!! The poor little mite , how did he slip under the radar ? Were neighbours , family , school , social services completely unaware of what was happening to this little boy? It beggers belief. I like many other feel sick thinking about this !

I’ve read some of the details of this ongoing case but had to scroll past the one yesterday with the video of him having to sleep on the floor and saying “no one loves me”. I was in tears and I am now writing this. It’s beyond any normal person’s understanding. I couldn’t treat an animal like this, let alone a 6 year old boy.

I can only imagine his grandmother’s distress and that of his extended family. They were worried and alerted social services but, as usual, they visited and found no concerns.

Arthur is suffering no more but this cruelty to children continues. I fervently hope they get extremely long sentences.

This has turned my stomach. It's absolutely vile. What kinds of people can actually do this? How can this happen? I've a grandson the same age. Life sentence! With no parole.

It's a tragedy that keeps happening. Heartbreaking. Poor little one totally helpless with sadistic parents.
I just hope they suffer in prison as there are people in there too who will be disgusted by their crime.

How did this fo unnoticed in school?

Being emaciated is not a 1 day process, it happens overtime

I believe they were making excuses not to send him to school. Relatives contacted Social Services and it wasn't followed up. I have been following this case as it's here in the Midlands. I wish I hadn't read it or seen the video. If you don't want your child, let someone else look after him. I couldn't sleep last night after watching the video.

It's heart breaking. Those two should get a whole life sentence each.

This child is described as 'a schoolboy' - old enough to go to school or was he kept home and 'home-educated'?
Why did no teacher see what was happening to him and call a meeting with Social Services? Surely someone realised this child was at risk?

Lessons never seem to be learned.

Katie1949. It was followed up by Social Services but the person that visited didn’t feel there was anything to worry about.

Earlier in the trial a hairdresser and her partner gave evidence about the boy’s treatment on the occasions the step mother visited her home for hair appointments. Stories of him being too weak to hold a glass of water and being made to stand outside facing the wall. Asked why she didn’t report this she cried and said she now wishes she had. Makes my blood boil. Not only should it have been reported something should have been said to the absolute scum treating him this way.

tickingbird. Apologies. I read that his grandmother and uncle showed pictures of his bruises to a police officer and were warned not to visit Arthur as they would be arrested for breaking Covid rules. Obviously no one is to blame here except his wicked father and step mother. His biological mother is serving 18 years for stabbing a previous partner. Poor little mite.

No need to apologise Katie. It’s just another harrowing case that beggars belief. As a grandmother myself it would crucify me to know this cruelty continued even though I was asking the authorities to do something.

Me too tickingbird

Katie1949. It was followed up by Social Services but the person that visited didn’t feel there was anything to worry about.
I missed that too, tickingbird

Not fit for the job.
Another gullible person like those who sit on parole boards.

That is shocking if the grandmother and uncle were told that by a police officer. Another person not fit to hold down a job like that.

Yes, I know the vile parents are to blame but why are others so easily hoodwinked and frightened to act?

I really don't know Calistemon and yet there are cases where parents are taken to task and wrongly accused when a child suffers a fall or something. I understand how difficult it is but I don't know what the answer is.

I haven't read it; too much for me. Poor little mite.