Should the father of the 4 Hoath boys also be charged with manslaughter?

Yes I think there's needs to be some responsibility on his part, however, she is the one who left so she should definitely stay in jail. I find it crazy that the government can enforce child support financially, but doesn't enforce shared physical care by both parents. This is how kids end up being abused, when 1 parent has the responsibility for all aspects of raising the child..

If a parent left a nanny in sole charge of their four toddlers 24/7 they would be breaking employment law and would be in the dock themselves.

I don't think manslaughter really applies, but I do think that if the legal system were not so patriarchal we might have a crime of reckless abandonment of children that could be applied to absent parents who leave the other parent in an impossible position.

I agree, I think it would break anyone. And although the father can't be prosecuted I absolutely think he shares responsibility for the children's death. He met a "dysfunction" woman with mental health issues, rapidly got her pregnant, and after she had twins got her pregnant again, then fucked off and left her high and dry with four babies so he could impregnate the next woman.

She couldn't cope, and his children certainly couldn't expect any help or protection from their father.

If a babysitter walked out on kids, they would be the one liable for manslaughter due to the danger they left the children in rather than the unfit mother.

I'm ok with charging non-contributing fathers for neglect though. If the cap fits, wear it.

They can't but surely if he was involved enough he would have been aware of the conditions in the house from collection. If there were as described, the chances are that the children themselves were also not clean and looked after. They hadn't attended school for weeks. So he either knew there was an issue and did nothing which is neglect, or his own absence meant he didn't know the conditions his own children were living in, which is also neglect.

I can't help but feel if the roles were reversed, the responses would be very different

.... Not surprised.....

7 children under 4 years old?

Enough said.

The useless bastard has blood on his hands, just like their so-called mother.
I hope the whole rotten family rot in hell.

If he should have stood trial, I am sure the Director of Public Prosecutions would have arranged for it to have happened.

If I knew he was neglecting them, clearly struggling and still handed them over, then yes.

Indeed.

And where was the Dad then at court?

Couldn't make it to the hearing?

He couldn't look at the photographers in the eye to make that statement himself.

Tragic case all round.

Apparently, she wouldn't let his family into the home. There is only one person responsible for the boys' deaths, and she's starting a 10 year sentence tonight.

He said I'm devastated but I've got to think of those left behind, which I thought was a wierd comment.

The lesson is, be the first parent to dump your kids, leave the parent who steps up with 100% of the responsibility and 100% of the blame if anything goes wrong

This 👆

YANBU. The family knew she was struggling and the boys were left alone. They should have been there caring for those boys. Their protestations ring empty.

What was the situation in terms of contact? Was it casual, or some sort of court ordered arrangement?

Would we also blame Sara Sharif's mother? She lost custody I think? Was she seeing Sara? I've seen several MN threads saying this man should be charged but none about her? But maybe there are details I don't know about.

You know nothing about why he wasn't involved with his sons, maybe she made it difficult for him to see them, it happens a lot.

I voted YANBU but not because he should stand trial for manslaughter but that he left those poor boys with an unfit mother. He is, now of course, devastated blahblahblah. Social Services were also involved so why did they leave the boys with her.

Those poor kids.

Apparently the kids were well turned out and she didn't allow any relatives in the house, so probably no one knew about the squalor. SS did know and did nothing. Inlaws had reported her to SS so they at least showed some level of interest. The dad is an attention seeking deadbeat who went on to have 3 more children but no, legally he's not responsible for their deaths.

And what if the mother does not want this?
Because my husband would and did (to the tune of a £20k family court bill) and despite being ordered by the court, she refused to let him anywhere near his sons.
Would it have been his fault if this had happened to his sons?

I’m also going of the opinion that the landlord should be charged - apparently the flat was rented out with no smoke alarms, which is against the law.
If there had been a smoke alarm, a neighbour might have been able to call the fire brigade or break in to rescue those boys before it was too late.
Too many landlords are breaching regs and cutting corners in this country.

That as may be but the poor boys were living in squalor with human faeces and rubbish all over the house.
If him or his family gave a shit they might not have been left on their own

we do know, because we have the judge's sentencing remarking laying her health struggles out in great detail. She had also experienced domestic violence (though it doesn't say who the perpetrator was).

YANBU. Society has let deadbeat dads (for want of a better phrase) get away with too much for far too long. Absent parents need to be made to pay for their offspring, and be held equally responsible for their general welfare whatever roof they sleep under.