One of the saddest stories in a long time TW: Neglect/child death

[Perjo]

I read this this morning and it has to be one of the saddest, most avoidable child deaths I've read about in a long time. Especially where it says he was still alive on January 2nd.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/47b4c6b2-673d-4c43-8ef0-b8ba05c47f0a?shareToken=39b0f7f8b3c90882aca021214db91159

The article I read was also tragic but I think the knee jerk blame of social services here is problematic. The mother argued with the father "before Christmas" and moved out, leaving her two year old with a father who was 60+ and known to be unwell. She appears to not have made any contact or raised any alarm, and the pair were found dead Jan 9.

The social worker reported to police on Jan 2, revisited on Jan 4 and reported to police again, and eventually it was the same social worker on Jan 9 who got hold of a key and made entry, the police having done precisely nothing.

It seems to me social services are the only ones who actually did do something. When was this mother thinking of contacting her ex partner or enquiring about her little boy? I find it absolutely shocking on her part.

I don't know how a mother can have no contact at all with their young child especially over Christmas. She needs to look closer to home before blaming others.

Yet again lessons aren't being learnt by SS and yet another poor child has to die. Fed up of hearing them spout about "lessons being learnt so it doesn't happen again". And yet another death. It's disgusting. R.I.P Bronson. Such a shame everyone let you down 😞

What else would you have SS do? That social worker did what she could; police twice and then let herself in after getting a key and permission from the LL. Why didn’t the mother go round, assume she would have a key? Or the police go round? The mother can blame SS all she likes but already having SS involvement suggests some previous concerns of parental treatment, and not contacting your child or the father for two weeks, esp over Christmas, hints at her priorities.

Do we know that the mother moved out before Christmas? We don't know the situation with regards to contact with the boy's mother, particularly given the involvement of social seevices.

It doesn't seem as though social services have done anything wrong.

It's a very sad outcome. However, pages and pages of people hugging their children tighter, as we always see with these tragedies, won't help.

According to other reports, yes

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12972759/bronson-battersby-final-fortnight-starved-dehydrated-five-days.html

I know it's the mail but it's the most detailed timeline I have seen in this tragic case.

I cannot understand how a mother of a 2yo could go two weeks without at least asking after her son, let alone seeing him. The social workers aren’t to blame here. I feel very sorry for the poor social worker who is presumably now on stress leave, she did what she could. Poor wee mite.

It says they argued. It doesn't say she lived there at that point.

Goodness that's absolutely heartbreaking. That poor little boy.

I'm also hesitant to blame SS though, it sounds like a wider systems failure. Unfortunately, I imagine there is going to be a complex history, but poor child having no one looking out for him outside his Dad.

Yeah the mother in this situation needs to be taking some responsibility here. Where was she while her son was starving to death?
The social worker did nothing wrong here, they reported it to the police twice, the police took no action so the social worker eventually got a key from the landlord to get inside and found the bodies.

Police are allowed to break down the door, they are allowed to ask neighbours about activity at the property, they can access CCTV

If they are called to do a bloody safe and well check then they should bloody well do one!

Nothing to do with SW at all! Getting a key from the LL is actually going above and beyond

https://euroweeklynews.com/2024/01/17/tragic-toddler-found-starved-beside-dead-father/

This version says Mum left the home before Christmas - I guess it will all become clearer.

SS are not to blame here.

That woman (she doesn't deserve the title of mother)....she can rot in hell.

I feel for the social worker. I don’t see what they did wrong. The Mum needs to be looking at herself. Where on earth was she? Why didn’t she check on her baby?

The social worked tried to make contact several times in the space of a week.
The social worked also rang the police.
The social worker also gained entry within a week.

I'm struggling to see why the social worker is at fault in anyway.

I cannot understand a mother who doesn't check up on their 2 year old in 2 weeks.

The SS went round as arranged on the 2nd and got no answer - you wouldn't immediately think to break down the door! Asking the police to do a check on that date was actually being on the ball and proactive, she could spent the next couple of days trying to rearrange the missed appointment instead. With things like SS, visit appointments are often missed. I don't think she did anything wrong here and what a horrible shock it must've been when she did go in.

Am absolutely bloody sickened that SW get the blame for so many of these tragedies. That poor SW did everything possible within their remit to protect this poor toddler.
Where was the extended family? Where was the Mother? ,why didn’t she try making contact with her child? Why were the family under social services?
Too many questions? Absolutely tragic .

You can't just go kicking in doors on one missed appointment. The poor boy. This is all on his mother.

Oh that poor baby. I can only imagine how terrified he was. My DH is an officer in another force and has told me about finding a child in a similar situation and how terrified he was… to know that little one passed away in such circumstances is absolutely horrific. The mother needs to take some accountability, as well as the Police for not acting soon enough! It sounds like the Social Worker did everything she could and whilst I’m 99% sure this has wrecked her, should have a clear conscience given the situation.

surely this woman should be convicted of child neglect?

This is so tragic and not the social services fault at all. It's the so called Mother, but now she's blaming SS, they did all they could. How come the so called mother had no contact with her son for over 2 weeks?

Surely she would have contacted by phone to talk to him or been concerned that there was no answer. Most likely was enjoying her free time and not giving her son a second thought. Now not taking any off the blame. Terrible

So easy to blame everyone else the mum needs to take some responsibility how can you not try to have any contact with your child for 2 weeks.The social worker contacted the police to express their concerns twice and in the end managed to get into the property I would say they aren’t at fault here.

Awful. Feel so sorry for poor child.

Mum has no right to blame anyone. She didnt check on child for 2 weeks.

Shocked police didn't act on social worker contacting them. Social work did everything she could.

And the Police.

The Police were informed twice that there was no answer in a house where SW were meant to visit every week. The social worker did everything right - she even hunted down a key to get in herself when the Police failed to act.

The Police are 100% to blame. Probably to busy arresting people for being mean on social media...

That mother is a joke, she has a right cheek blaming SS.
We don't know the ins and outs or if there was anything (order) preventing the mum going round but it sounds like the social worker did what she could.
SS can't just take doors off hinges because someone didn't answer.

Why is no one questioning the actions (or lack of) of the police.
They 100% should have done a welfare check.

Social care not to blame here at all. What on earth were the police doing? They had two opportunities to do a safe and well check. Where was the ‘mother’? Where were the wider family members? The sw going to get the key from the landlord was going above and beyond. I hope they are well supported in the time to come. What an absolutely shocking scene it must have been.