17 year old found starved to death in Birmingham

[PinkPussyCat]

Just heard about this on the lunchtime ITV news... Apparently there were several other emaciated children found at the scene following a call to the emergency services.
They don't have any more details than that atm.

How can stuff like this be happening in the UK in 2008?

[eenybeeny]

were they homeless kids? or had been abused? its awful!

[belgo]

I think you mean 7 year old. here

[squeaver]

Seven year old actually I think. Even worse...

[PinkPussyCat]

Apologies for the typo - must preview!

[Joash]

'Stuff like this' happens all the time, but we don't always get to hear about it.

[PinkPussyCat]

Why do you think this one has been singled out then, Joash?

[eeewahwoowah]

About 10 years ago a little girl in our town was found dead having suffered terrible abuse at the hands of her parents. It got small mention in the local press and that was it. I have no idea why some cases get widely reported on and others never do.

[Mercy]

PPC, unfortunately it seems there will always be a few parents who neglect their children(either wilfully or just inability)

[cestlavie]

How the hell is the charge they're contemplating one of neglect? Surely your starting point in any case like this is a charge of manslaughter.

[marmadukescarlet]

between ona and two children die from abuse and neglect in the home

[marmadukescarlet]

that should be one and should have contained the words each week

[Mercy]

god, that's scary reading marmaduke.

[marmadukescarlet]

Mercy, I found the figures on the number of under 1's hit weekly most shocking.

[marmadukescarlet]

I phrased that wrongly, because the death of up to 2 children per week is actually more shocking (along with most of the other facts on there) but I just find it so hard to believe that so many people would hit babies.

[Joash]

I didn't say that it had been singled out, I meant that things like this happen more often than people realise, but it is only the cases that make the national media that we hear about.

[madamez]

THe news piece doesn't say the child 'starved'. 'Neglect' can mean that the parents didn't seek medical treatment for superstitious reasons (christian scientists, JWs etc). The death of a child is always sad but it's generally a good idea to know the fact before you start filling your knickers over the Horrible WOrld We Live In.

[cestlavie]

Madamez: neglect should only be applied to situation in which a parent fails to provide a child either physically or emotionally. A situation in which the child dies as a result of 'neglect' should see a charge of negligent manslaughter... and failure to see treatment for religious/ superstitious reasons would quality for the same (or, I suppose, manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility or insanity).

[sweetbean]

The Parents should be shot !!!!

[PinkPussyCat]

Madamez - I was only stating words used by the ITV news at the time.

[itsahardknocklife]

I just can't comprehend how parents can do that. It's so sad.

[tiredemma]

I was horrified to see this on the news.

How can people not notice emaciated children????

[lilyloo]

This is so apparantly she had been out of school to be home ed for 3 months so no noe had seen her.

[WrongSideOfTwenty]

I was just going to post about this, it's terrible