Little Arthur

Maddyone. A life sentence is not usually 20 years. Life is life but only in very rare circumstances is a whole life term set and then it can be reduced by the Home Secretary, usually on compassionate grounds due to terminal illness etc.

Gang members are routinely given minimum tariffs over 30 years for shooting other gang members/drug dealers so why a judge saw fit to only set 29 years after what this woman did I do not know. Hindley and Brady were kept in, quite rightly, so I don’t understand any angst over this pair.

Seeing Arthur’s maternal grandmother on the clip provided by Miss Adventure yesterday, upset me even more as Arthur would have only been 5 when he was stopped from seeing her and his mum. They probably told him his grandmother and his mum didn’t want to see him. I can’t bear to think what must have gone through his little mind. Christmas presents delivered but never given to him? It wasn’t just the physical abuse but, as the judge commented, they systematically isolated him and destroyed him mentally before finally murdering him. A little boy? Just evil, pure evil and they deserve to suffer. Dying, being put to death is far too quick. Let them go mad in solitary with no hope of release.

EllanVannin

Better still in my own personal view, lethal injection ! They wouldn't be missed.

Too quick. They need to be made to suffer as they made Arthur suffer..

There are very few prisoners serving a whole life tariff, meaning they will end their days in prison.
I hope Tustin can be added to those few, if the death sentence isn't going to be reinstated.
I agree with Ellan.

That would be the easy way out EllanVannin
Tustin has already attempted suicide and been taken to hospital once (pre-trial I think).

Better still in my own personal view, lethal injection ! They wouldn't be missed.

Well it wouldn’t bother me either Ellan, I was simply stating the position. However I don’t agree with mob rule at all. Campaigning to change the law seems a better route to me. There are a great many vile offenders in prison who have committed the most heinous crimes.

Local MP's can usually put their fluence on the length of a sentence. Until they die in prison would do me. No parole !

It was good to learn that the monster woman was being given a hard time inside.

I couldn't eat anything the whole of the day when this horrendous news broke out, and cried every time it was on the news. I'm still brought to tears at his lovely face.

A life sentence is always a whole life sentence and is the mandatory sentence if a person is convicted of murder. This step mother was convicted of murder and rather than allowing the ‘normal’ tariff of 20 years for a life sentence, the judge said she has got to serve a minimum of 29 years. She won’t necessarily be released after that, it will depend on the parole board, for which she must show genuine remorse. If she is released she will not be allowed, under the terms of her parole, to be near or associate with children. If she breaks the terms of her parole she would be recalled to prison, just as a convicted murderer was a few weeks ago. I’m not sure about the terms of the father’s sentence but I believe he was convicted of manslaughter, which can carry a life sentence, but the judge chose to sentence him to 21 years, serving a minimum of 12 years, I think. Personally I believe he should serve the full term of 21 years, and he may well, it will depend on him and the parole board.
As you know MissAdventure I abhor this dreadful crime and the suffering the poor little child was put through, but judges act within the law. If people believe that a 20 year sentence is too lenient for murder, it would be more productive to campaign for a change in the law.

Correction - that should be mob rule.

Anyone can appeal against, what they feel is, an unduly lenient offence. It happens all the time. It has no correlation to lynch mobs.

If mob rule was a thing, I'm pretty sure the government wouldnt6be merrily doing their own thing, as they currently are.
As lucca says, they were being reviewed anyway.
Hopefully smashing a childs head in could mean a whole life sentence.

Why are the sentences being reviewed? I despise these people who committed this dreadful and cruel crime, but trying force the hand of judges with petitions sounds a bit too much like mob rule to me.

The sentences were being reviewed anyway. Its got nothing to do with the petition.

89,000 signatures on the petition means that the sentences are going to be reviewed.

It’s about time childrens’ rights superseded those of the parents.

V3ra- I’m out of date but hope someone still working can give up to date info. There was to be a central register but my memory is this was abandoned because it was feared parental rights may be affected. I may be wrong about this and haven’t found google useful.
The child protection conference used to be the place where various agencies provided written information on its involvement. It was the only place where confidential (police) info could be shared.
However, an investigation under Section 47 should have resulted in the social work team calling a formal multi agency meeting.
No doubt the inquiry will answer some of these questions and make recommendations which agencies Must follow

So many reports had been made to several different agencies but no-one seemed to see the bigger picture.
Is there a need for a central register where these comments can be recorded by everyone, then the cumulative effect might show up more?
As it is everyone seems to have considered what was reported to them or what they witnessed wasn't too worrying at that time. Put them all together though over a period of time and they are.

I’ve only just read your most recent posts maddyone but you have made some really important points particularly with regard to the fact that there were so many ‘red flags’ that have been ignored by so many agencies as well as the school. We shall indeed have to wait for the results of the inquiry but I suspect it will be pretty damning.

No, you're not, iam64.
However, to be told it's "bad taste" to want answers has been said.
So, I will carry on asking and posting just as I would anyway.
People who think it's bad taste had better steer clear if they don't like it.

Yes but not his paternal grandparents who were the ones that took the photographs of the shoulder bruising. Even Tustin’s own stepfather reported them over their treatment of Arthur.

I’ve made no excuses for bad practice.
Arthur’s maternal grandmother was prevented from seeing him by Hughes

Also , I think it was worse for this poor child because he was hidden away during lockdown/ summer holidays and fewer people saw him who might have been able to intervene.

Yes, even though his grandparents, his uncles tried to see him.

MayBeMaw

Dee1012

Wasn't it around 1973 when Maria Colwell was killed...as usual the powers that be will have enquiries and say 'lessons will be learnt'.
How many lessons do they need?

It's utterly heartbreaking.

Just spotted this - I was in hospital having my first baby (who died 3 weeks later) and I can still remember the 4 of us mums in our ward, sobbing at the tragedy.
Lessons clearly have NOT been learned.

So sorry for your loss MaybeMaw, how dreadful for you.
There are sick people in this world who should never be in charge of children. Severe and gross under funding is always going to lead to more tragedies happening. Also , I think it was worse for this poor child because he was hidden away during lockdown/ summer holidays and fewer people saw him who might have been able to intervene.

Heartbreaking.