Preston Davey, another baby P.

Primrose, I know of a case where the adoptee boy requested a home with only women as he had had bad experiences with men in his birth family.
He chose a lesbian couple, and flourished .

Primrose - of course.We’ve both set out what we think. I thought that was how discussion went.

Tuliptree

As unspeakably dreadful as this case is, it’s wrong to use it to fuel homophobia when there is no evidence that gay couples are more likely to murder and sexually abuse their adopted children. In 2023 ( last year I could find figures) there were about 3000 adoptions , 1 in 5 of which were by same sex couples. 370 were adopted by male couples and 230 by female couples.. Of course this case must and will be investigated further but I think some of the comments about same sex adopters prejudiced and homophobic .

You think what you like and I’ll think what I like.

That beautiful baby had one of the most gorgeous smiley faces. To think he must have been unhappy and in pain in his short final months, like so many other innocent little souls is heartbreaking.

Galaxy

I have had relationships with women in my past. I actually find the unwillingness to talk about this issue as deeply problematic and more likely to cause problems for lgb people.
One of the greatest risks to a child is the presence of non biologically related men in the house. This applies to stepfathers/ male partners. So not actually a sexuality issue, but just complicated by the fact that in this type of partnership there are two men.
I think digging down into the statistics would probably be helpful but unlikely to happen.

But in any adoption by a heterosexual couple there is a non-biologically related male. I’m not sure where that takes the discussion. The statistics needed would be of all adoptions over a given period, how many of the children were murdered, sexually and/or otherwise abused and then that correlated with same sex/ different sex couples. I actually wonder if the figures would be sufficiently large to be statistically significant. But I still think it’s wrong to make sweeping generalisations about same sex adoptions .

I have had relationships with women in my past. I actually find the unwillingness to talk about this issue as deeply problematic and more likely to cause problems for lgb people.
One of the greatest risks to a child is the presence of non biologically related men in the house. This applies to stepfathers/ male partners. So not actually a sexuality issue, but just complicated by the fact that in this type of partnership there are two men.
I think digging down into the statistics would probably be helpful but unlikely to happen.

This made me want to cry. Babies are so vulnerable and dependant and also most people find them loveable.

I can't help wondering if these two men were paedophiles of a particularly vicious and depraved kind as well as being homosexuals.

I don't agree that same sex couples shouldn't be allowed to adopt as I know three such families and all the children are happy, loved and well cared for.

I think thorough pre-adoption vetting should be carried out in all cases.

As unspeakably dreadful as this case is, it’s wrong to use it to fuel homophobia when there is no evidence that gay couples are more likely to murder and sexually abuse their adopted children. In 2023 ( last year I could find figures) there were about 3000 adoptions , 1 in 5 of which were by same sex couples. 370 were adopted by male couples and 230 by female couples.. Of course this case must and will be investigated further but I think some of the comments about same sex adopters prejudiced and homophobic .

I can’t bear to read any details about this. Poor little baby.

I read so:e of the details earlier unimaginable wicked depravity, I too hope they get whole life sentences.

This is why I support the death penalty.
Rehabilition? No.

That poor darling baby. I’ve just seen a film of his murderer shouting ‘Boo!’ at an obviously exhausted baby to keep him awake, and little Preston’s face has the saddest expression I think I’ve ever seen on a child’s face. 😰😰😰

Whilst his birth mother wasn’t deemed able to care for him, it must be torture to her and her own mother, who hoped to raised him had she not had breast cancer at the time. Also his foster parents who cared for Preston for the first nine months of his brief life.

I assume there will be some sort of inquiry as to how this could ever have happened.

I’ve read some of the comments on one of the mumsnet discussions. Many references to the known risk posed by non biologically related men. They might express if differently to you Primrose, but from my brief look, our mumsnet group agree with you.

I dare not read it.
BabyP's torture, and lonely unloved death was enough...

I could have cried when I saw his beautiful little face and realised he never stood a chance.

I know people will disagree but I don’t care. I don’t think people in same sex relationships should be allowed to adopt. There was a similar case a year or two ago with two men and then two women who killed their little girl. In cases like this the child’s needs are paramount not the prospective parents.

I also think that nobody dared speak out (As Sago suggests) in case they were accused of being homophobic.

I sincerely hope little Preston rests in peace now.

Thanks Silvershadow. I’ll read it. I’m interested (🙈) in the experience the sw had. Sometimes early specialism into fostering and adoption means not enough experience of assessing and working in safeguarding.

For those interested, there is a full factual breakdown on Sky News, much more comprehensive than the BBC. They name the two social workers. They also name the hospital employees who did raise concerns. It was the social workers who, in their wisdom, didn’t pursue the obvious.

Cossy - what about the Paediatricians? Without them rasing concerns, sw hands tied. If medics or sw had been concerned, a joint police - sw investigation would and should have happened. That should involve examining mobile phones. All over for these two

The hospital reported their concerns to their social worker who told Varley not to worry! Then another woman, supposedly an independent sent along as he’d had three hospital visits, said nothing to concern her. They need relieving of their jobs. Useless pair.

These men are evil men. Not because they are homosexual but because they are vile evil men.

I doubt whether is was due to them being same couples that they slipped through the net, it’s more likely to be because they lied and their social workers were, like all, overworked and under supervised.

Horribly tragic and appalling, most of all, heartbreaking.

I’ve been reading about this case as it proceeded and hoping they wouldn’t get away with it. They’re a disgusting pair of perverts. And don’t they look like it from their photos. How were they considered in the first place.

That poor dear little baby, especially with a mother like he had. If she hadn’t been allowed out to breed this would never have happened in the first place.
Poor little soul. I hope they get everything that’s coming to them.

Sorry, must add on name changes, I’m talking infants, not older children placed for adoption. They keep their names

Sago, thanks for starting this thread. I’ve been following the trial, feeling physically sick and distressed about the horrific abuse this baby was subjected to.

I can’t comment of the assessment process because we don’t have that information. What is clear to me is that when Preston moved from his foster, to prospective adoptive home, red flags were waving very early
It may seem irrelevant but my experience and training was you don’t change a child’s name on placement. They changed his name to Elijah. Clear sign they were more concerned about their needs and wishes rather than the baby’s. Adopters sometimes add a name of their choice at say adoption or Christening ceremony. Gradually that name might be used

Jamie Vardy told a work colleague, weeks into placement he was having dark thoughts about suffocating the baby. She did nothing until months after their arrest

They put obstacles in the way of the baby seeing his former foster carer, his primary attachment figure.

The hospital visits. A fractured elbow in an infant has to be a red flags. In these circumstances a curious social worker could have got a second opinion from an experienced paediatrician.

It also seems the couple complained from day one that Preston didn’t sleep well, also that this was affecting their sex life. Hands up Gransnetters, when we had babies was our focus our baby or sex.

I’ll stop here

Mind you other prisoners will dole out their own punishment more than likely. Yes maybe hanging is too good for them.

That poor poor child.
There will without a doubt be more children who have been harmed by these men.
That