Little Arthur

Grammereto I haven't seen the video but I did see on a news report the stepmother sounding very plausible, talking about little Arthur.

The only video of her is police body cam footage after Arthur had been taken by ambulance and the police attended. You found her plausible? I’m astounded.

The paternal grandparents went to see the maternal grandparents as they were so worried. The maternal grandmother has been interviewed this morning and was in tears. She spoke of the worry and urgency they all felt. They were all reporting yet nothing was done. She spoke of bruises on top of bruises. How wretched and impotent they must have felt.

There can’t be anymore excuses for this level of inertia.

And he had the bare faced cheek to involve the police because he claimed he was being harassed!!
Did nobody join the dots, here?
If not, why not?

Miss A, I agree with you that the concerns of relatives, friends, neighbours should be properly investigated. Sadly, malicious allegations do happen.

Iam64. Malicious allegations don’t come from both sides of families - 3 sides if counting her stepfather, who also reported.

Yes, of course.
I'm sure people who work in these areas are very well aware of that.
I can only say that exactly the same happened to my neighbour when she was trying to get help for her grandchildren.

Strangely enough, those same agencies constantly phone her now, asking if she can possibly help out and take in the children when they are in trouble.

I don't think the schools being open would have made any difference. Tustin told people she wouldn't send him to school due to the state he was in. She made excuses to the school.

I don’t think she could have made excuses for a full three months, the school would have started to be suspicious given that concerns had been raised about him. I’m really quite shocked that the school seemed to be unconcerned about him, given the situation.

The schools were concerned about him but he moved to a new school when his father gained custody.
They were concerned that he was having difficulties because his mother had disappeared from his life suddenly which would be a good enough reason for him showing signs if disturbance.
However, he looked physically healthy until Hughes moved in with Tustin as we have seen from photos in the press.

He was even referred to CAHMS according to the timeline which was in the local paper.

His father was reportedly contacted by the school several times during lockdown. He assured them Arthur was "fine' and 'happy'.

Pardon my ignorance but what is CAHMS please?

Germanshepherdsmum

Pardon my ignorance but what is CAHMS please?

Sorry, CAMHS!!

Children and Adolescents Mental Health Service. A seriously over stretched and underfunded service

He wasn't referred though.

This is the photo that breaks my heart to see,after reaching round obviously looking for a little bit of attention it looks to me like he is being totally ignored. It also looks to me that he has a small bruise on his cheek… but look at his lovely smile ?

MissAdventure

He wasn't referred though.

According to Birmingham Live he was seen but that was before his father moved in with Tustin.

Ah, I stand corrected.
It's all still a jumble of who did what at the minute.

MissAdventure

He wasn't referred though.

Just before lockdown. He was upset about his Mum which made him anxious.

March 2020
Hughes took Arthur to see Kerry Forsyth-Benson, a CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services) practitioner, at Bishop Wilson Clinic in Birmingham.

Arthur expressed concerns about his dad leaving and not returning. Ms Forysth observed his physical condition at the time to be fine. She concluded there was no mental health issue at that time because Arthur's anxiety and 'aggressive play-fighting' had reduced.

MissAdventure

Ah, I stand corrected.
It's all still a jumble of who did what at the minute.

This is a local paper and I am assuming this timeline is correct, but it may not be so:

www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/arthur-labinjo-hughes-murder-timeline-22347441

I can't read it.
I just skimmed the first couple of lines and that was enough.

Thank you for filling in a few blanks for me Calistemon. The link clearly shows that lockdown was the beginning of the end for that poor little child. I have said multiple times on a couple of threads that Arthur died because of lockdown. Many people were protected by lockdown, but Arthur was not protected by lockdown. Our schools should never be closed for so long again. School is a safe space for vulnerable children.

That link gives the clearest timeline I’ve seen Callistemon, thanks.
Maddyone is correct in pointing out lockdown was a significant factor, Arthur was talking to staff in both his schools, plus his deteriorating physical and emotional state would have been obvious to staff, not to mention injuries.
Hughes had sought help from his GP, attended CAMHS with Arthur.
Set that against concerns from his maternal and paternal families. The police sergeant took no further action after the photographs were sent to children’s services. He believed there to be an ongoing investigation. Why the cursory visit wasn’t followed by interviewing family members, Hughes and Tustin again, seeing Arthur alone and getting a medical opinion on the photograph, plus paediatric assessment of Arthur will no doubt be covered in the review

I think about him every day. Poor little soul. Physical abuse is terrible but to toture and starve anyone is beyond me.

He spent hours and hours standing facing the wall in the hall, and that is where he finally collapsed and died.

That is far as I got with reading the timeline before I had to give up.
Bless his little soul

maddyone

Thank you for filling in a few blanks for me Calistemon. The link clearly shows that lockdown was the beginning of the end for that poor little child. I have said multiple times on a couple of threads that Arthur died because of lockdown. Many people were protected by lockdown, but Arthur was not protected by lockdown. Our schools should never be closed for so long again. School is a safe space for vulnerable children.

I agree.
Of course, some schools were open as hubs for vulnerable children and key workers but very vulnerable children may not have attended anyway.