Little Arthur

Did anyone hear Any Answers this afternoon? The entire programme was taken up with calls from people involved with child welfare - social workers, a vicar, a retired policeman who had worked with child cases and now still works in the same but in a different role.

The consensus appeared to be the reporting system was in desperate need of an overhaul. Apparently if parents find that the social worker is reporting them they will complain about that worker and a different one will be appointed. They have too many cases and not enough time to deal with them. These parents are clever at evading the system.

Furthermore the workload is so great that many leave and those that move up the management scale often don't have much experience of field work. They all said that they often worked until 8 or 9 o'clock at night.

I remember many years ago, not long after Victoria Climbie discussing such cases with a friend who was a deputy head of a South London primary school. She was often involved in multi agency case conferences. I asked why the children weren't just taken away immediately and her response was that families should be kept together and very effort made to ensure that this happens - family support etc etc. But, if they were taken away what would happen to them? From what we hear childrens' homes are not always a secure haven.

Arthur's father was as guilty as the creature that murdered him. He clearly condoned and took part in the appalling treatment handed out to that helpless little boy. He was his natural father for Gods sake, how could he go along with this terrible abuse? He is on record as wishing the child dead! Imo he deserves as much if not more than the actual killer.

I understand the local MP is referring the sentence to the Attorney General as being "unduly lenient". Hopefully the sentences will be increased to ensure they never leave prison. I sincerely hope that lessons really will be learned. It seems they are always encouraged to leave the children with family - in the case of worries concerning abuse would it not be advisable to remove the child to a place of safety for a set amount of time when he or she can be tactfully questioned by experts.

Sadly it sounds as though the parents hoodwinked the social workers and this was the tragic outcome. An acquaintance was a social worker but now retired and she said that the older workers were being encouraged to retire in order to save leaving only younger, inexperienced staff. I agree with GillT57's last sentence that we shouldn't demonise social workers as most of us probably couldn't cope with their workload.

Whereas, this horrific case has been high profile, there are, on average, one child each week killed by parents/carers or someone close to them. Every few years one specific case seems to hit the headlines, and following careful study - there are some changes in the law and the promise of 'lessons will be learned'. Sadly, the figures hardly change!!

In addition to those that actually die, there are many more who suffer long term life changing physical results.

I am always so bemused at the so-called 'stranger danger' when death and injury to children is nearly always by someone very close to them.

Until we are all willing to pay more via our taxes to ensure that Social Services have both the people and the resources to do their jobs properly, these figures will continue and no amount of tears by posters on here are very useful.

No this is excuses again!! This is not because of cuts. It’s ineptitude and incompetence from the top down. Social Services stubbornly refuse to change their practices. They put the rights of parents, political correctness and cultural mores above the rights of children and are never held to account.

The sw that visited was inept but that’s just one cog in a very big malfunctioning machine.

Thank you GillT57. Your post sets out the situation well

I didn' t catch his name, but there was a man being interviewed on R4 this morning who had been involved with similar reviews and inquiries in the past, and he said that the problem was years and years of cuts of budgets, so that we are now at the situation where SS are only able to deal with crisis, not prevention. I am angered by the hypocrisy and hand wringing of tabloids such as the DM over this tragedy; remember these are the very publications which demonise Social workers as 'heavy handed' and 'terrorising innocent parents'. This case is dreadful and the treatment and subsequent murder of Arthur is truly heartbreaking, and people are rightly asking why and how it happened, but remember, we do not read about the hundreds and thousands of cases where social workers have prevented similar tragedies, where they have intervened. Demonising social workers who are already dealing day in day out with situations which would shock and sicken the rest of us doesn't help anyone.

There is a photo of Arthur on the front of some of the papers today looking clean and cared for, with his cute backpack. He is beaming all over his gorgeous face.

The father and stepmother caused Arthur’s death but the police and social workers are responsible for his death and need to be accountable.

Germanshepherdsmum

It’s right to name them. They are responsible for what happened.

no they were not. His father and his Father's girlfriend are responsible.

nananet01

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

2 of them were taken into care years ago apparently, and the younger two were raised, fed, cared for, while she was abusing Arthur. The 5th one which she was expecting was aborted apparently, at 21 weeks, while she was on remand.

Tom16. Only the stepcreature was guilty of murder and she has been given a life sentence. She may be kept in much longer than 29 years but the judge has set a minimum amount. All this means is that she can’t think about or be considered for parole until she’s served 29 yrs.

He was guilty of manslaughter as he wasn’t there when she killed him. He received 21 years. He will be eligible for parole much earlier. Doesn’t mean he’ll get it but it’s unlikely he’ll serve the full 21 yrs.

I feel so sorry for that grandmother as she tried her utmost to help this poor little boy. His father had custody of him so she had to return him. It would have needed a court order for her be able to refuse to return him. Like many other people, this case has deeply upset me. The fact that that child knew what these two monsters were trying to do to him, his cries for help that no one heard are just appalling. Such wickedness is beyond comprehension.

I keep getting those images of him struggling with his duvet, and his little Avenger pillow in my mind, so cold, hungry, thirsty, lonely and terrified, feeling so unloved
I know we can't help him, he's beyond our help, but there is something his family, who claim to love him, can do -
why oh why can they not give him his peace, hold his funeral, let his poor little body rest and set his Soul free, he suffered so much torture to his little body and mind, why torture his Soul by leaving him to lie alone in a dark, cold mortuary for 18 months
I just cannot bear this

Tom16 thst's just it, he knew what they were doing to him, he tried telling people, nobody listened to a little 6 year old, yet he was old enough to know what was being done to him, its heartbreaking

This child has been tortured to death - why are the people responsible not given life imprisonment? Why are they given there apparently arbitrary sentences of 29 years for her and 21 for him. The sentences are not appropriate for their disgusting behaviour to an innocent child - all the more awful because of his age - he knew what they were doing to him.
The law and social services are a clumsy machinery that is not able to give protection or even proper punishments for such depraved behaviours. The old ways were actually better for dealing with these types of people. Like for like. Then they might be a fraction aware of what their victim suffered.

Humbertbear

I read this morning that his birth mother is in prison having been sentenced for stabbing her partner. That poor little boy never stood a chance.

It's sad; she is a well-educated young woman who unfortunately met Hughes, dropped out of university and then into drink and drugs. Despite that, she was apparently a good mother to Arthur.

It is not just Arthur's life that Hughes destroyed.

I read this morning that his birth mother is in prison having been sentenced for stabbing her partner. That poor little boy never stood a chance.

Pre retirement, I worked for a Council Child Protection department, for a number of years, as administrator, and after all I’d heard, seen and dealt with there, I thought nothing else could shock or surprise me, with how some people can treat children.

However, watching that video, and reading about it, I must admit I felt choked and sick with sadness for that poor little boy. Let down by people that should have protected him.

There have been endless reviews, enquires etc after previous cases, yet nothing seems to change much, and, apparently, Covid lockdowns etc has made the problem worse.

It’s good that the parents got hefty sentences, but nothing will bring the little chap back.

Tragic.

I agree tickingbird. My heart goes out to her.

lemsip

the grandmother took photos of the bruises on the childs back and sent them to the police ...How could she have let him return to the stepmothers house,,,,,,,

I’m sorry that’s uncalled for. She loved him and tried again and again to help him. I feel for the woman, she must be tortured.

I’ve read a lot about the trial over the past couple of weeks but not everything as I find it too distressing. I know better than to watch the video as it would break me. I have been in tears several times over the past few days and have to turn the news off now.

I’ll just say that one of the worst things I read was that he would tell him he was taking him to his grandmother and then just drive round the block. An act of such spite it breaks my heart. Cutting up his beloved football shirt in front of him. I wish I’d not read about it tbh because it’s haunting me.

the grandmother took photos of the bruises on the childs back and sent them to the police ...How could she have let him return to the stepmothers house,,,,,,,

I don't know the details because I haven't been able to read about them or listen to what they did. Just enough of the news to know she got 29 years and he got 21.

I hope they don't get released a single day earlier.