This horrific news story was just beyond belief

How was this child eventually discovered?

Although extreme, having had a grandchild born in Covid this story does not surprise me...

So many children left in horrible circumstances and we may well find a few more stories like this, but hopefully not so distressing...

I too believe this poor little soul may not remember her appalling treatment but it is known that children who are even removed at birth still can be traumatised. I read somewhere that babies miss the heartbeat of the birth mother and also her voice!
Hopefully her life will improve.

I noted that the child was born in 2020. That year was a black hole for many issues to vanish into was it not?

Jeanathome

I wonder why we let this stuff into our heads? I am guilty of this.

We match it up with our own experiences and can not comprehend things.
Perhaps we look for reasons, somebody to blame, retribution.

I wonder why we let this stuff into our heads? I am guilty of this.
The problem is, once seen or heard it cannot be unseen or unheard.
I woke in the night thinking of this child's suffering. Then it's difficult to go back to sleep because your mind goes on to other cases.

Cossy

Jeanathome

I wonder why we let this stuff into our heads? I am guilty of this.

We match it up with our own experiences and can not comprehend things.
Perhaps we look for reasons, somebody to blame, retribution.

This is a horrific story, but it’s important to report and for us to read as this maybe our neighbour, our sister or even our partner!

I’d always report any suspected abuse, it’s not neglect it’s abuse.

No-one could report anything as no-one knew of her existence.

The mother carried on life as normal.

Did she never climb out of the drawer when her mother was absent?
SueDonim, I think the drawer was pushed back under the bed when the mother had dealt with her. It's a wonder she didn't suffocate, it must have been like living in a tomb.

JenniferEccles yes, the sentence was far too lenient imo. I hope there is an appeal and it is increased so at least this woman never has the chance to come out whilst she is of childbearing age.

Iam64 you are right, the experience will have changed her perception of normality and have caused psychological damage.
I can remember things from when I was two.

Trust me Cossy, I'd be first in line to ring the appropriate services if I suspected something was wrong.

Jeanathome

I wonder why we let this stuff into our heads? I am guilty of this.

We match it up with our own experiences and can not comprehend things.
Perhaps we look for reasons, somebody to blame, retribution.

This is a horrific story, but it’s important to report and for us to read as this maybe our neighbour, our sister or even our partner!

I’d always report any suspected abuse, it’s not neglect it’s abuse.

I wonder why we let this stuff into our heads? I am guilty of this.

We match it up with our own experiences and can not comprehend things.
Perhaps we look for reasons, somebody to blame, retribution.

BlueBelle I wish I shared your belief this little one will recover. Her basic physical, emotional and developmental needs were completely neglected for the first 3 years of her life. With good loving care she can make the strides being reported, beginning to understand that her cries will be responded to for example, and learning to walk and eat food, to communicate. But that extreme neglect of her needs will mean life long emotional and physical needs.
It’s almost impossible to believe she survived.

Allsorts - what lessons do yiu think can be learned here. This was a hidden pregnancy and hidden child, the authorities seem to have had no idea of her existence, in fact it seems only the mother knew.

Sara Sharrif needs her own threads but like other posters, I can barely read the trial reports.

The sad thing is lots of children born with cleft palate have it operated on if that's the reason behind keeping her hidden. What a horrifying start poor little girl hope she receives the love and care she needs for a happy childhood from someone else.

It's awful. It's too cruel for me to even think of scenarios. I hope the child recovers from the ordeal.

Unbelievable! Heartbreaking! Strange situation with the partner not being allowed upstairs and then taking three years for him to find her. I was born in 1941 and I have snap shot memories of war time. Shelter, hiding under a table,being evacuated with my mother even the wallpaper on the bedroom wall. I’m hoping that the time under the bed will remain buried as it was a continual existence with little stimulation.The partner must still be in a state of disbelief. Anyone connected with that case must have trouble sleeping.
.

It’s so tragic all round because the other children will lose a mum to jail There doesn’t seem to be a dad in the picture The mother must have some huge mental health problems surely no one of sound mind could conceive it was alright

The child will be ok she will recover and have little memory unless there is a lot of press reports for her to see when older

I cannot imagine how it could be that no one went upstairs how the other children never ran into the bedroom or heard the poor little thing whimpering or crying It appears the bathroom was upstairs as the partner ran up to the toilet Had no one used the bathroom and heard anything in three years it’s all so weird !!!

It was her partner who discovered the infant, surfingsal
He wasn't allowed upstairs alone so presumably didn't live there.

I had to read the report on this twice as I truly believed I'd misunderstood it the first time. My brain simply couldn't process the information I was being given.

Tragic. I wish every good fortune upon that child and that she now continues to be able to live in a loving, caring family.

I haven't read it as its too much. No good saying lessons are learnt because they are not.

I feel sick reading this and I hope the ‘mother’ ( creature) is never, ever allowed to look after any children again. I hope they throw the book at her and she gets what she deserves in jail.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Heartbreaking. Beyond belief. Cruelty of the most wicked kind.

That's what I thought ordinarygirl. Surely the other children would have heard crying.
What a wicked mother she is.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Could she maybe (hopefully) have little to no memory of this time in her life? One can only hope so.

The wee mite may have no memory of it but deep psychological damage will have been done, of abandonment and attachment disorder.

I just couldn’t understand what I was reading, at first, it seemed so outlandish. Did the child never cry? Did she never climb out of the drawer when her mother was absent? The social worker said she thought her own face was the first the child had ever seen apart from her mother’s.

It’s just hideous, as is Sara Sharif’s terrible death.

The report I read said that the little girl had never been registered. I suppose that the poor child has never even had a name?

What a truly horrific story this is.
Such cruelty is unbelievable.

In my opinion this ‘mother’ should have been given a much longer prison sentence, although I realise judges are bound to a certain extent by guidelines.

Has anything about the family’s background been revealed yet?

petra

Look at the year she was born, 2020. How many other horrors were not seen because of covid.
I doubt if her birth was ever registered.
She’ll get her comeuppance in prison.

Of course.
There are many awful stories about child abuse during that time, when children could be hidden away.

Look at the year she was born, 2020. How many other horrors were not seen because of covid.
I doubt if her birth was ever registered.
She’ll get her comeuppance in prison.

Could barely believe this , when I heard the news.
Surely others in the house heard something.
Truly horrific .I sincerely hope the child concerned will have a loved and comfortable life with her new parents.
It's so terrible, I have no words to describe how I feel.