How can parents do this?

That's lovely of you. I feel such a whinger thinking about this little boy. At least I survived.

I'm so pleased. I remember you all in my prayers.

Oh how thoughtful GSM. My brother is doing very well indeed. He must be made of strong stuff! My nephew has been swept up by the family and is doing OK. How lovely people on here are. With apologies for highjacking such an important thread.

Oh Kate, I could weep for you. I hope you have lots nowadays and I know you give them. You know how important they are. I’m digressing but is your brother making a good recovery and is your nephew ok?

Thank you Vera A hug would have been welcome I never had one as a child.

What must those who loved him be thinking and feeling. His GM whose concerns were ignored, if she'd been listened too this could have been avoided.

Maria Colwell, Baby Peter, Daniel Pelka, now poor Arthur.
Cruelty, sustained cruelty, beyond what many of us can bear to hear about or see. I couldn’t watch the video, a still I saw from it was enough.
The stepmother didn’t want Arthur to go to the grandmother and uncles who loved him because ‘he would have won’. Sick and twisted woman.

Kate I always want to give the child you were a big hug. I'm so sad for all you went through ?

I heard this on the radio last night. I was upset.

I know Kate. I’ve never forgotten. ?

Thank you Calistemon . I'm not looking for sympathy but I appreciate your kind words. No, no love in our house.

Kate1949

Exactly VioletSky and thank you BlueSky. I'm not putting myself in the same category as this poor child. However I know what it's like to be badly beaten by my 'father' as a young child and having to stay off school until my cuts and bruises healed. I won't depress you with the rest. I cannot forgive. There's no excuse.

And to others who didn't have loving parents ? I'm sorry.
There is no excuse.

Horrible, horrible, horrible. I want to bring that little boy home and shower him with love.

What is wrong with people to so treat an innocent child this way. What is wrong with the teachers to ignore his obvious neglect. What is wrong with the visiting social workers who saw nothing amiss.

I too cannot watch the video.

As an aside, I read that the trial was stopped for a day as the step ‘mother’ needed hospital treatment…….

I am not a vindictive person, but.

Kate1949. You’re right. There is
No excuse

Exactly VioletSky and thank you BlueSky. I'm not putting myself in the same category as this poor child. However I know what it's like to be badly beaten by my 'father' as a young child and having to stay off school until my cuts and bruises healed. I won't depress you with the rest. I cannot forgive. There's no excuse.

I am sick of parents getting away with abusing children. Even when I say as an adult that my mother was abusive I get "oh but you only have 1 mum" or "she will be gone one day and you will regret this".

Like why is there such a disconnect between society and parents?

Why is there such a disconnect between society and mothers/mother figures?

It puts children and adult children at risk.

Parents can be emotionally, physically and sexually abusive and they can be neglectful or addicted and absent.

Children deserve better and victims deserve to be heard.

Agree with you Kate1949. While I was not abused my mother was less than loving to me. I went on to absolutely adore my own children and grandchildren. For you Kate

It's not like there isn't help out there if you feel you can't cope with the children!!!
Anyone who is found guilty of child murder should go away for life, and not a cushty life, they should do hard labour!!!

I just feel sad and angry Iam64

There are so many cases most people never hear of.

Too many Callistemon. Care proceedings escalated. The government made places at school for key worker families and ‘vulnerable’ children. No surprise that few of the vulnerable children attended.

How many children suffered during lockdown with evil parents?
We know about little Arthur because he died.

Forsythia

You’re probably right, but it’s beyond me that someone would do this. It sounds as thought the father just dumped the boy on her, not that’s an excuse.

The father is accused of murder and child cruelty too.

It is reported that the step-mother sent messages to the father saying the boy was crying.
Hughes would reply with messages such as 'dig Arthur's grave', 'I'll take his neck off,' and the 'kid is getting it when I get back''.
He also sent texts saying that he would take his 'c*****g jaw off his shoulders' and told his partner 'put him out with the rubbish'.
Earlier this week Hughes admitted he would also use 'pressure points on Arthur's neck to discipline him' after seeing videos about police brutality in the US online

I’m another with 40 years in social work, mainly in safeguarding. I’m retired. I’ve read about this little boy and saw the video on line but couldn’t watch it.
There will be an inquiry but my impression is of a cunning. manipulative couple, who lied to school and avoided sending him. Some of this abuse happened during lockdown, the father convinced school A was ok.
I was distressed to read that his grandmother’s concerns, including a serious bruise to his shoulder were dismissed. No doubt the father convinced the sw that gran was malicious.

Not all adults abused in childhood repeat that. Many go into parenthood determined not to repeat abuse patterns. Some people enjoy inflicting pain, terrifying children deliberately. There are a number such cases in the criminal Court currently.

I make no excuses for those parents. It’s devastating to read that in some cases, social workers have been involved. What can’t be ignored though is the impact of devastation of public services that supported children and families.

You’re probably right, but it’s beyond me that someone would do this. It sounds as thought the father just dumped the boy on her, not that’s an excuse.

Forsythia

But who knows what they have endured themselves and then as adults may well go on to act similarly.

They could have been well cared for.
It's not unknown for just one child in a family to suffer