**Trigger Warning** Title edited by MNHQ Very distressing news story about murder of 24 day old baby

[A580Hojas]

Aibu to not comprehend how it can be possible that newborn baby Stanley Davies, who had been in hospital on 3 occasions with broken ribs and limbs (if I am reading the reporting correctly) was sent back home with his parents and not removed from them by Social Services? I just cannot fathom how that could happen.

Someone is guilty of failing massively in their duty of care here (I refer to the professionals, not his parents). Unless any more knowledgeable Mumsnetters can explain to me how this might have happened?

@namechangeforthisobviously why are you trawling through the family's Facebook profiles. That's really weird and intrusive.

Obviously don't know the full facts but from everything I've read it sounds as though the health professionals failed to report to social services.

Most of the time we are asking “is it good enough”.

Clients openly admit to me that they want us “off their backs”.

Some drug dealers actually present as perfectly respectful people.

They present as perfectly respectful people. They aren't.

Also, I would agree that binge-drinkers would ideally have their children taken into care, too. It would save so many lives. But there isn't the funding for it.

she said in the video he has a mental health condition so he's not allowed to work?

whats that mean?

A580Hojas if the baby had been presented at hospital 3 times (or even just once with broken bones at less than three weeks old) then it would have been flagged, immediately.

Nothing I've read however suggests that anyone took that baby to hospital until they were 17 days old, and at that point all the expected safeguarding procedures kicked in the baby remained in hospital.

We are talking about days here, not weeks, not months. Are you wilfully conflating the actual facts available to make some political point? Not even the Daily Mail is blaming professionals - that should suggest you are barking up the wrong tree on this one.

They present as perfectly respectful people. They aren't

We assess people on how they present and the facts available to us.

Sad you think taking kids away from their families is the end of their problems.

It isn’t- it’s just the start.

Also, I would agree that binge-drinkers would ideally have their children taken into care, too. It would save so many lives.

It absolutely wouldn't. You do understand that foster care isn't a heaven with one beautiful, innocent baby placed with one idyllic family who bond immediately with the child (who doesn't already have complex needs) and treat the child perfectly as if they were their own, keeping them there for 18 blissful years and keeping contact for the next thirty, supporting them with their own children.

I swear people say 'take the child away' then do absolutely no thinking about what that is like for a child. To be taken away. It is devastatingly traumatizing.

And what MrsTerryPratcett said.

I just watched the video and can’t believe the way the police accommodated the tosser of a father and his attitude. I’m no expert but it looks like poor little Stanley had a broken neck from the way she was holding him. He just doesn’t move at all despite all the shouting. He doesn’t look asleep he looks unconscious.

Ethel, the mother and her sister’s social media were linked to in a thread about it on a Facebook group I belong too. Clicked on them out of morbid curiosity I suppose, same reason that others are clicking on the video or even this thread.

shrugs

I’m amazed that the police went round the flat, heard an admission that the boyfriend was on drugs, saw signs of violence and just left the mother there. I would have thought they would have insisted she leave the flat to safeguard the baby.

Oh my god, how can someone watching this video diagnose a broken neck?

Did he have a broken neck at post mortem?

It absolutely wouldn't. You do understand that foster care isn't a heaven with one beautiful, innocent baby placed with one idyllic family who bond immediately with the child (who doesn't already have complex needs) and treat the child perfectly as if they were their own, keeping them there for 18 blissful years and keeping contact for the next thirty, supporting them with their own children.

That's my whole point - foster care is so under-funded that it's just not possible for children to get the kind of intensive care (and aftercare) that they need. Ideally, no child would be left in the care of someone who cares so little for them that they'll put them in danger so they can get their fix. But sadly, a shit biological parent is often still better than spending your childhood in foster care.

I have not watched the video - I have no desire to, I will go to work tomorrow and see all sorts.

I just wanted to defend the professionals getting slated in the OP.

And Anyfucker look at all the wine o clock stuff all over social media and swap that for “drug of choice”.

IMHE alcohol is one of the worst drugs when mixed with parents with children.

Pearl87

Foster placements are not underfunded - the funding for the actual placements just isn’t there.

There are plenty of foster caters who are absolutely fantastic but also loads in it for the money.

I don't do empty posturing, I have stood and dared some violent drug and drink addicted male to take his temper out on me but he didn't.

That was remarkably stupid. Bravado and admissions of reckless behaviour doesn't excuse encouraging others into dangerous choices.

Davis, who had repeatedly wept throughout the trial and was even seen doing cartwheels in the court lobby, broke down in tears and hung her head in shame as the unanimous verdict by the seven men and five women was returned after four days.

Why was she doing cartwheels?

Her barrister tried to defend her by saying that she didn't know how much cocaine her partner was taking. Surely if you knew your partner was taking ANY amount of cocaine you would get your child the hell away from them?

I've just been reading this story to DH.
There are no words are there? To hurt anyone let alone a beautiful tiny baby is totally beyond me.

There are plenty of foster caters who are absolutely fantastic but also loads in it for the money

i sound naive but is there really,i guess we just think there wonderful people giving a safe enviroment to a child

Some of them are.

Some of them aren’t.

That poor little soul.

I don't know what the answer for this kind of appalling behaviour is.

In my head, anyone who hurts children, weaker members of society and animals should get the punishment of their actions returned to them x 5.

I realise this makes me sound somewhat deranged but I'm so bloody tired of hearing sad and dreadfully upsetting stories in the news.

Actions and consequences instead of excuses and mollycoddling evil people. It could actually work.

LRD - I didn't pick the argument that was done by the violent person themselves. I refused to be intimated. I was never picked on again. I had people to protect and I was getting no back up from SS or any other professional body.
I know what happened I was there you were not (I dont think so anyway). It went on for years. Many things were wrong with SS actions, so bad you could hardly believe it
Can you imagine how I feel that I could not save people from this violence. I was not believed despite evidence.

Riiight. So getting into violence is a good option.

Sounds great. I can't imagine why you weren't 'believed' for whatever this was.

I cannot believe you are seriously suggesting your example, engaging in dangerous behaviour, should excuse you guilt-tripping responsible social workers.

How would you fund the extra work you initially suggested?

How would you motivate people to take it on?

If you have actual answers, not macho-macho posturing, let's hear it.

@LRD Just for context the situation was eventually taken on board after a dire situation. Even then they (SS) could not accept that they allowed it to continue.
I am aware of the outcome as it stands today, years on from the final event. There were no winners at all