To wonder what on earth happened with the Leiland James case?

[Grasscrowns]

Utterly horrific, but AIBU to wonder what on earth prompted a woman with no criminal history to ‘leather’ a baby? Even people who believe a good hiding won’t hurt them and other such stupid statements don’t apply it to babies.

I will admit I’m not sure I could adopt because I don’t think I’m the right person for it. I find other people’s babies of little interest and the idea of changing their nappies etc, repulsive.

Why would not being interested in other peoples babies make someone unsuited to adoption?

No, she probably didn’t, but she did, didn’t she? She pinched him and she hit him and she left him with severe injuries he died from.

TBH I really struggled to bond with my son when we first adopted him. It was such a culture change. But at no point did I ever feel the need to harm him. I did think I couldn't be his mum soo many times and thought I wasn't good enough. It made me very low but that would never be any reason to harm a child. She must be evil. Downright evil, there are no excuses.
..

Double adopter, single parent, 15 years in, multiple and extreme ongoing difficulties. I think one of the most striking things for me is that the neighbours were questioned after the fact and reported that they had heard extreme thumping and regular screaming. If it were me, and I was hearing a baby or child screaming in pain, day in, day out, I would report it immediately. Why have people lost sight of the fact that it takes a village to raise a child? Adoption is hard for all the reasons cited above, but don’t we all have a responsibility to keep all babies and children safe?

And I write as someone who has been reported to the protective agencies because one of my children, who has multiple developmental and trauma-related issues, regularly screams like a banshee; while I dislike my neighbours for ‘reporting’ us, I have a grudging respect for their commitment to child protection.

I don't think she understood the needs of a baby like that.

In a nutshell