Mum kept baby hidden in drawer for nearly 3 years !!

[benjaminjamesandgraham]

Even Christmas day she was kept in a drawer - oh how can someone be so cruel
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gz1dv8ly2o

I don’t understand how this child was hidden from the other children and her partner whenhecisited?

surely they would have all gone into the bedroom at some point? Even if the child never cried she would have needed nappies etc and someone would have smelt the poo? Very odd!

The partner was not allowed upstairs in the house. There was music/TV on in the room all the time. We don't know the ages or abilities of the other children. If course it sounds unbelievable because in a normal household it just wouldn't be possible. Hers was not a normal household.

How long had the partner been on scene? He heard the baby crying & it was left on the bed this time (?)

babies with cleft lip are considered a punishment for misdeeds with some cultures even going as far to label the child "satan" in their native language

She hid the pregnancy. There was no pre-natal care and she gave birth at home, alone. The cleft lip is irrelevant.

I don't get how she could be on the bed when she couldn't crawl/walk? Did the mum put her there? Other reports said social worker arrived to see child in the drawer 'rocking'.

Poor soul,

How do you know that?

I'm leaving this thread now. Properly. I thought I did earlier and apparently I didn't.

Can't you all just stop. Agree there was an abused, poor little child. It's heartbreaking. Mind breaking. But just fucking stop. It doesn't matter what we all say, and look at us all! Women arguing with women over this! Mothers!

Stop it. Focus on the poor little girl and stop this bickering. We all think differently. Some empathise with the woman, some don't. It doesn't make any of us better and at the end of the day, it won't help that little girl.

Stop it. It's disgusting.

I'm actually unfollowing now as I thought I had done.

I cannot understand how contact with that mother has any benefit.

I find it sickening that despite knowing the remarks the judge made that posters are scrabbling around to make excuses for her.

If you find a thread upsetting it is fine to leave and hide .

However, there's no need to tell other adults to stop it etc. It is a high profile very disturbing case, it is understandable that it will be discussed.

The argument for continued contact, as I understand it is that often children who go into care, go back to birth family after 18yrs old when most children leave care and effectively lose the support that the state provides, what other choice is there for them? It's pretty grim, and not at all unusual.

It's not discussion. It's ragging each other around the emotional dance floor.

I'm not getting involved. I don't know why Im still getting notifications.
And you're trying to cause a row.

It going to happen. Believe what you like. It won't help her.

Honestly I'm not trying to cause a row. If it upsets you just ignore but people are still allowed to share their points as long as within talk guidelines.
If you get notifications that someone has posted I think you can change it in your settings.

Trying to now. Cheers.

I just feel it's in bad taste. We all feel the same..I'm not trying to silence anyone. But my God. Arguing over this.

Think I've found the unfllow thing. So this is the last post from me. I just think we should consider each other. Pack in the vitriol. Like a pp said, anger comes from hurt.

Can't we just talk about the poor fucking kid? These arguments are silly.

I suppose people are all riled up and there's nowhere for it to go.

Then change your settings. I have mine set that I don't get any notifications. I don't try to dictate what other posters can or can't talk about.

And we're not talking about the child (btw I loathe the word "kid") You've turned into a discussion about your feelings.

WTAF!!! What have I just read!!! This is absolutely appalling! Poor child! 😢

When you care so deeply for your own children it makes it even harder to comprehend that someone could treat their child this way. My DS19 is at university 3hrs away and I still fuss over him. Constantly texting (he doesn’t always answer my calls) checking on him. One evening I forgot to message him good night, I love you and felt so guilty. I messaged him immediately I love you 😢. He hadn’t even noticed

Do you have a link to the court reporter news as am really trying to put my head why these things happen 😥😥

Court Report here

I can't understand how none of the other siblings knew she was there! The mum said she never shut the drawer.. how can the other children and family not know she was there?

Because they never went in that room, some of them like the partner weren't even allowed upstairs in the house. The TV or radio were always on and the baby either couldn't or learnt not to make much noise. It's very hard to imagine a situation where that could happen when you come from a typical household but people live in some very odd circumstances and if as a child that's what you are used to you don't question it.

Yes, I agree with you. The ex-partner was apparently abusive but you're right - she's just a particularly nasty human and we're all so far on the other side of the spectrum that we literally can't fathom it.

But I think this - if the ex-partner was abusive she may have channeled her aggression onto the child - she couldn't win a fight against him so she had a vindictive pleasure in abusing his child as a distorted coping mechanism.

Despite what others are saying I imagine in the early days she hit the baby when it cried, shoved her hand over it's mouth. When people do acts of unthinkable nastiness it starts with "dehumanizing" - hence her saying this child wasn't part of the family.

A reason for women to kill their babies is often as revenge against the man - I think this was a similar thought process.

Unfortunately the first 4 years of a humans life is extremely important, and this child has lost 2 years and 11 months of that process. Even if the mother gave a good explanation and I had some sympathy, what I think is this: abuse of this level is effectively a life sentence and she should receive a life sentence in return. Whatever she may have gone through, I'm sorry for it, but there is no excuse.

I agree @Honestandkind I think she saw the baby as his, forgetting the poor little mite was her child too. The hatred, anger and powerlessness she felt when under his control was probably channelled towards this innocent child, whether subconsciously or consciously. I hope she has it drummed into her that she hurt her own flesh and blood, and the half-sister of her other children, who would have loved their baby sister.