How can parents do this?

I know it isn’t possible, as it brings to mind of regimes but sterilization for adults who are so abusive towards children doesn’t seem too hard. He will be able to father children again when he has served his sentence.

Has anyone thought about her children? She had 4, God help them
They were prob encouraged to hurt him too, what kjnd of adults will they become

It said on the news today that her other children were well cared for.

“Tustin, who was brought to Coventry Crown Court, "refused to come up" to the dock for the duration of the sentencing, Mr Justice Mark Wall QC said at the start of the hearing“

Her human rights I suppose, to be able to refuse? Has this always been so? I bet it’s a fairly new concept “nah, I’m not going up there to hear it all thanks, you can tell me later”.

She didn’t show any such consideration towards Arthur.

They should have dragged her up to that dock in my opinion.

I agree.

Apparently she's had salt thrown at her by other prisoners and has attempted suicide.

nananet01 they may not have been encouraged to hurt him. One of the harrowing aspects of poor little Daniel Pelka’s death was the testimony provided by his sibling, who had secretly bought food for him, tried to protect him from assaults, cleaned him up and flushed the toilet after Daniel used it - because Daniel wasn’t allowed to do so. It was this sibling who found him unresponsive on the night he died and tried to wake him up. I often wonder what became of that poor child and pray that he or she received loving support to deal with the trauma and they suffered. There are many ways to abuse children and this was undoubtedly a variation perpetrated by their mother and stepfather.

nightowl I did wonder, if they had tried to help him but were afraid.

I agree Urmstrongran. She should have been made to stand, to listen, be subjected to judgement, not allowed to hide

I hope it was that way for him nightowl

Calistemon I wonder too. One thing is for sure, children living with and witnessing that kind of cruelty cannot possibly be unaffected. What a horror story this family were. These poor children didn’t stand a chance.

And yet another one on the news, baby Amina killed by her parents. She had 60 broken bones and the parents tried to blame the paramedics. Little Amina was only eight weeks old. I have a new grandson who is around a month old. I am terrified just to hold him gently in case I inadvertently hurt him; I cannot imagine doing such violence to anyone, let alone a baby.

As usual the perpetrators had that inhuman, soulless, empty look in their eyes.

nananet01 I hope so too. I hope he had some kindness in his last few weeks and months. But I fear for the surviving children, whatever the situation was. They were innocents too.

That poor little boy was from Coventry too, *nightowl

The Social Services there were found to be inadequate after Daniel died - it seems nothing has improved.

Apparently Tustin's father also made calls to social services about abusive treatment to Arthur by the father and their daughter but were ignored.

What I find even more sickening is that when family members of the child raised concerns they were ignored and when they complained they were told they would be arrested if they entered the home to get the child out. The director of child services in the area " retired" 6 months after the poor child died on a very handsome pension.

This little boy asked to see a doctor, such a grown up request
He told his uncle his father was going to kill him, how could he even begin to process that in his 6 year-old mind
6 little years, trying so hard to get help but nobody was hearing him
Crying out for his grandmother, his uncle
Why didn't the uncle or grandmother go in anyway and remove him, ok, they would be arrested-but that would have exposed the terrible truth surely
The parents probably bribed him with lies that (one) day they let him play in the garden (to hoodwink the SS) with false promises of more days like that, and, wanting to believe they did love him, that poor little boy did what they told him too, wanting to please them and for the hurt to stop
It's unbearable
The cruelty, manipulation, the deliberate, terrible abuse and breaking of all possible between a parent and their child
No punishment will take back what happened to Arthur, what he suffered, his horrible and terrifying death, and he must have known, trying to understand, in his little mind, knowing he was going to die, alone and terrified
It's too much to bear
It's traumatised everyone who has had to deal with it, not just us as the public
How will the grandmother and the uncle live with what happened

Yes it is too much to bear. I wish I hadn't read it.

Urmstongran

“Tustin, who was brought to Coventry Crown Court, "refused to come up" to the dock for the duration of the sentencing, Mr Justice Mark Wall QC said at the start of the hearing“
She should have been dragged by her hair!

I do hope she doesn't manage to commit suicide (she has already tried).
Not just yet, anyway.

I know it's a job but how can defence counsel work for someone like that?

Tustin’s own children may have had basic needs met but weren’t ‘well cared for’. They grew up with an emotionally unstable, anusive mother. They witnessed domestic abuse, they lived daily with seeing A tortured.
I wonder how they presented at school, then remember, lockdown meant they weren’t there.
I’ve wept, as have so many, reading the evidence. I haven’t watched the video, though I read what that little boy was saying. I don’t know how others feel but I’m uncomfortable with it being made public.

I’m in agreement with urmstongran, in nor wishing attacks by other prisoners on these two wicked people. Let them suffer, lose their Liberty, be isolated and despised. Don’t let other prisoners extend their sentences as a result of attacking them

I’m not a fan of life sentences but for these two, why should they ever be freed

I agree Iam64
The video is all over the internet, it feels ghoulish and further abuse of this little boys tragic story

They are obliged to take the case under the cab rank principle Calistemon.

What is particularly poignant, are some pictures released of Arthur with his natural mother, happier days, he looked loved and she looked a loving mum. I know she is in prison for killing a man she became involved with, we don't know the circumstances, so not making a judgement about that. As others have expressed there were members of Arthur's extended family on both sides I believe, who wanted to take over his care. It's truly heart breaking.

I'm not sure. It could bring about positive reactions.

Most right-thinking people or those who have never worked in the field or its aftermath have any idea what agonies are being perpetrated on little children. To so many these acts are unthinkable.

Being aware of the horrors may make society more alert to what may be happening in their own street.

Germanshepherdsmum

They are obliged to take the case under the cab rank principle Calistemon.

Yes, I realise but is it possible to refuse and take the next cab?

Yes Iam64 you are right. The account I read was wrong. Her ex boyfriend said she only had babies because it gained her attention and Child Allowance.