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Two year old starves to death

(138 Posts)
Whethertomorrow Wed 17-Jan-24 02:33:04

This is the most awful heartbreaking story I think I’ve ever heard.

A poor little lad starved to death next to the body of his father who apparently died of a heart attack. Social services attended address twice but didn’t get an answer.

Why did they not persevere? That poor little boy, he could have survived if found earlier.

When I did cleaning for age concern we were told if there was no answer to our knocking then we were to call the police in case something was wrong. Surely the social services could have done the same. No doubt ‘lessons will be learned’.

I am in absolute pieces typing this. I can only hope the little lad didn’t take a long time to die or in agony.

rafichagran Thu 18-Jan-24 11:42:02

I agree Callistomom blaming others is wrong, as I do not think the social worker is to blame and I will be interested in the outcome of the Police enquiry.

I do think the Mother is upset,bereaved, and trying to look for someone to blame. That said I dont think she deserves some of the comments on here.

Germanshepherdsmum Thu 18-Jan-24 11:41:52

Some people are devoid of scruples. What sort of mother has no contact with her toddler over Christmas? And I have heard nothing to suggest that she tried to contact her ex to enquire about the child before he was found dead. She is as much to blame as anybody else in this sad story.

Callistemon21 Thu 18-Jan-24 11:40:55

The late father of little Bronson was 60, the mother is 43.

Bronson had several siblings, some of whom must be adults but there is no evidence that any of them bothered to see their little brother and father/step-father over Christmas and New Year. It was left to the next-door neighbour to offer some hospitality and a little Christmas cheer.

I feel very sorry indeed for the social worker who did try to locate them at various other addresses too when she got no answer at the flat.

nanna8 Thu 18-Jan-24 11:40:15

For goodness sake- those kids need to go into decent foster homes. She could have visiting rights. What sort of a system is it ?

woodenspoon Thu 18-Jan-24 11:37:17

It’s not wrong when she is blaming the police, social workers for her inadequacy and then giving interviews for money! Where are her priorities? Wouldn’t you think she’d be too upset to be giving paid for interviews?

Callistemon21 Thu 18-Jan-24 11:34:49

Anniebach

Anniebach
A Mother with many problems?
Yes she has, but blaming her is wrong.

Agree rafichagran

But her blaming everyone but herself, loudly and publicly, is wrong too.

Anniebach Thu 18-Jan-24 11:21:49

Anniebach
A Mother with many problems?
Yes she has, but blaming her is wrong.

Agree rafichagran

Calendargirl Thu 18-Jan-24 11:18:08

A Mother with many problems?

Not least having 10 children that she obviously couldn’t cope with.

rafichagran Thu 18-Jan-24 11:17:53

Anniebach

A Mother with many problems?

Yes she has, but blaming her is wrong.

Anniebach Thu 18-Jan-24 11:07:20

A Mother with many problems?

eazybee Thu 18-Jan-24 11:05:23

I did wonder what sort of mother gave the care of a two-year old to a 60 year old father in poor health, and did not check once over fourteen days to see how the child was.

woodenspoon Thu 18-Jan-24 09:14:58

Mother has given an interview to The Sun. She apparently has 10 children in total, 3 by the deceased. She decided it would be better for the baby to live with his father. She kept the other two. His son has given an interview to the Mail. Dad was living in a tent on the street, met mother and moved in together. Lots to unpick I think. He was too old and in poor health to look after that little baby. Mother trying to clap back now, to the criticism she has rightfully had.
I was awake most of last night with pain in the back so spent time reading all the newspapers on line, which is how I know about this.

Grammaretto Thu 18-Jan-24 08:51:52

Everyone should have a friend or a neighbour with a key, in an ideal world.

My 90yr old mum lay helpless in her flat for 13 hours with her hip broken.
Luckily her neighbour rang her bell and getting no answer, let herself in and called an ambulance.
If she hadn't, mum might have died and my siblings and I would have our names in the paper for being uncaring etc.

This case is horribly sad.

rafichagran Thu 18-Jan-24 08:33:59

Iam64

I can’t imagine how the social worker is coping

Neither can I, and I do not blame the social worker either. I am also uncomfortable at the way people are blaming the Mother, especially as we are not in full possesion if all the facts. I think Bluebelle saying the Mother should be sterilised is disgraceful, over the top and a knee jerk reaction.
I really feel for that little boy, and cannot imagine what he went through.

Optomistic1 Thu 18-Jan-24 08:10:17

I couldn’t agree more Woodenspoon. I believe the mother is on tv this morning blaming everyone but herself.

Iam64 Thu 18-Jan-24 08:05:21

BlueBelle, ‘why give him a little baby to look after’. I understand why you’re looking at it in that way given what happened. The question though, is what right would the state have to remove this man’s child from his care? Neighbours and the land lady speak kindly of this father, who seems to have been vulnerable.
We know so little about this little boy’s life but there are huge and growing numbers of ‘children in need’. The numbers of children looked after / in the care of the state is increasing as resources to support them diminish.

BlueBelle Thu 18-Jan-24 07:29:26

Where was the extended family over Christmas and new year Wasnt that child getting any presents, any visits, any cuddles
We don’t know anything about the father except he was pretty old and unwell so why give a little baby to him to look after
Whose decision was that?
The area looked very run down and the house itself looked pretty awful however much the man may have loved his baby he was too old and sick to have been put in charge of a growing baby What a strange, strange decision and that needs looking at because that is the start of the catalogue of blame

The poor SocialWorker is the tip of the iceberg and tried but was let down by everything else she or he can’t fight it all alone

I doubt the blame lies with one person but a whole heap of wrongs from the time the baby was born

The mother should be sterilised

CoolCoco Thu 18-Jan-24 06:25:31

Don’t blame the SW, she went above and beyond- they were only due to call once a month. Why weren’t all these “devastated” relatives in contact over Christmas ?

maddyone Wed 17-Jan-24 23:34:21

Iam64

I can’t imagine how the social worker is coping

Nor can I. S/he must be absolutely devastated.

nanna8 Wed 17-Jan-24 23:23:40

That mother should never,ever be allowed near a child again. What an appalling woman. The social worker must have been way overworked but still should have done more. As for the police , they need more manpower and specific welfare training if they are unable to follow through calls about such vulnerable little children. Perfect storm I suppose. Horrible, horrible situation and I pray it never occurs again.

JenniferEccles Wed 17-Jan-24 22:52:58

The fact is everyone involved in this desperately sad case is in some way to blame.
Firstly of course the mother is the very person who should have ensured that her little toddler was safe, yet we learn she hadn’t seen him for several days.
Then there are social workers and the police who also let him down, even though the child was known to social services.

Someone here mentioned neighbours and I wondered about that too, The father’s home looked like a terraced house or flat so surely neighbours would have heard the poor little mite crying, hour after hour.

pinkprincess Wed 17-Jan-24 22:26:27

I burst out crying when I saw this on 6pm news.That poor poor little boy, he was too young to know what had happened, likely thought his father had gone to sleep.
If the father had known medical problems he should never have had unsupervised access to the child, let alone been allowed to have him stay with him alone.
That little boy must have died in agony, all of which could have been prevented.I can remember years ago when the government announced that vulnerable children are best left with their parents in their own homes with ''adequate'' supervision.I said at the time that was a cost cutting exercise and there will be tragedies.
There is a lot to blame or this, most of all the childs so called mother
God rest his little soul

Callistemon21 Wed 17-Jan-24 22:19:24

On the news:

The child was being visited monthly by Social Services and was not considered in need of the highest level of protection.
The social worker visited other addresses to try to find the father and child.
The social worker followed the protocol.

This is a tragedy but Social Services are not to blame.

Callistemon21 Wed 17-Jan-24 21:37:17

This father, very sadly, died whilst taking care of his young child. There were, as far as I am aware, no indications that he was abusive or would in any way harm the child so warning bells would not have been ringing on that score.

The child was classed as vulnerable and being checked regularly by Social Services.

petra Wed 17-Jan-24 21:08:55

Social workers often have to make very difficult decisions as to who has priority. None of us know what other cases she was dealing with.
What if it were my friend who had a gun pointed at her when taking the children away from the mother.
Can you imagine the process that goes into that.
And at the same time you have a mentally ill person in a police cell who you have to find accommodation for, knowing that there aren’t any places. And on and on it goes 😡