Jesus Christ will this never end [Content warning: concerns child abuse]

[Hotdogsarevile]

Sorry for the daily mail link but Jesus fucking Christ this is beyond awful

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13958665/sara-sharif-burned-tied-bite-marks-murder-trial.html

when will this ever end?

I think that the children of Fred and Rose West all went to school while they were enduring horrendous abuse at home.

I remember a story reported in the US a few years ago, where a waitress noticed bruises on a boy who was out with his family at a restaurant. They were all eating but they hadn't ordered any food for him, so she suspected that something was wrong. She called the police and the parents ended up being arrested for child abuse.

Funny how different it is here in the UK. Neighbours could hear what was going on and chose to turn a blind eye. School reports bruises and nothing happens. You have to wonder what on earth has gone so wrong here.

However there was a report last week of a child who died, police visited his home to see him with two black eyes and asking repeatedly for food. He died but I believe his father got off?! I don't think it's much better to be honest

The words previously used include "Child/ren in immediate danger" "Child has been battered now being screamed at that they will be stabbed up" "immediate threat to life" "violence likely to have caused serious injuries - welfare check urgently needed - before they are sent elsewhere/ go on 'holiday" (came out two days later- too late, gone away) There's more really descriptive stuff, but it's identifying. Police have tbf often turned up fast, but then written it up and gone equally fast, to the next emergency.
I've even taken myself to a police station outside area and made a signed statement of exactly what was witnessed, along with another person. We both said we would be witnesses in court and take the consequences.

We were both actually terrified, especially as the police at the scene had demanded we state in front of the perpetrator (busily lying) if we had witnessed anything. (we didn't say no, we just raised eyebrows visibly and silently withdrew and stood openly on the doorstep hoping a different one would come to where we where but they didn't.) We then took ourselves to a police station anyway because there was a child involved. The words "asking for it" where used about the vulnerable victim by police at the scene. I know what they meant, but...

There's an availability issue, police are more than aware and mainly (not always) treat it as ASB rather than child abuse, I think because the victims are now inevitably becoming problems themselves, they are all 'known' to SS and police, and passing it to SS seems to allow them to be away quickly. They are also under pressure.

It was said on the news earlier that neighbours had heard her screaming for weeks. Why didn't those neighbours contact the police?
There are two small children live next door to me and if I heard them screaming or otherwise sounding distressed, you can bet your life I'd be straight on to the police.
That poor wretched child, utterly heartbreaking. May God rest her soul.

I agree. There is a level of pot luck as to who is ignored and who is put under a microscope, in most countries that are trying to reign in child abuse.

Too much paperwork to complete for each contact with the public and too many mental health cases they are called to (NHS failing?). It's frustrating for Police too, that's why he is retiring after 27yrs.

I do get it, never mind what they're doing to those prepared to be armed response or breaking up gang units. Police, child protection, are both necessary evils, but there's going to be even more children going through hell and dying miserably like poor Sara if we don't support them better so they can do their jobs properly, as well as demanding better from them.

My 10 year old has had nightmares the past two nights after hearing the news on the radio.

And I've no idea what to say to offer comfort.

Fuck humanity

@Renamedyetagain oh that's awful.

After I was (abnormally, I think) affected by Star Hobson I swore to not engage with child abuse stories but the headlines are everywhere.

It's just unthinkable what Sara just have gone through.

They should look at having a a death row system here , please. Don't be angry at that but so many children are being murdered ,yet adults can live for the rest of their lives on being fed and watered by the tax payer us , how can that be a fair system, this past decade so many young lives taken at the hands of evil men and women., upsetting to read and hear, and the living conditions some have lived in before their little life was stolen from them that's horrific 😢

No. Killing people is not a solution. You haven't thought it through.

Killing people definitely isn't the solution, and it isn't a deterrent, because most violent criminals are stupid enough to believe they'll never be caught, or so impulsive they never give consequences a thought.

I have nothing against keeping these people locked up for natural life.

What I object to very strongly is the grossly inadequate sentences that are handed down. There is no way these people should ever walk free again. And no parole should ever be granted.

(The person who took my report did listen carefully and agreed it well over the threshold for intervention, but still needed to have words about my politically unacceptable use of 'cocklodger', (I just couldn't think how else to sum up what they did and didn't do within the family) and 'fat' as a physical descriptor, and asked me to find a descriptor other than fat or obese, also over another less offensive descriptor, even having tried and tried to get earlier intervention and now trying to prevent inevitable further extreme violence and threatened death of a child, policing the language of the witness was a part of their job...
I'm generally polite, but not quite PC enough, I'm too LC, not 'Naice', I'm from a tough background, but those are also the qualifications to know exactly what I'm looking at. The focus is in the wrong places.)

@Elleherd
This is the most damning indictment of a social services provider I have ever read.

What are they playing at?

You are taking 1 incident and assuming that all good in the US. Big mistake. There are significant problems with child abuse there . "In 2021, 1,820 children died from abuse and neglect in the US".

https://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/media-room/national-statistics-on-child-abuse/

Forgot the link for US

I do wonder if people chose to ignore the signs of abuse because they didn't want to be seen as racist. I've been in far too many meetings (as a professional) with SS / Police where obvious law breaking (young girls removed from school at 12/13 to be married off) was being justified because it's "cultural".

People need to grow a backbone, if you suspect or witness any type of child abuse then contact the relevant authorities. We have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable and more should act on it. Be the one that makes that call. I suffered regular abuse as a child and wished someone had made that call.

Having worked in childrens services LA dept fot 10 years (admin staff) - I don't find it surprising AT ALL. Its revolting how much time is wasted in these departments, whole days devoted to long meetings pondering inclusive language etc while the referrals stack up and up. The reluctance to go out and be boots on the ground is astonishing. It may be different now but the dept I worked in (1990s) was full of vague, dippy, middle class women who rarely left the office. I hope they are a tougher breed these days with more life experience.

Give it a rest. Local authorities, social workers, police are allowed to fail far too often. Political correctness, incompetence and people like you with the wrong priorities usually the cause,

?

Exactly. Wouldn't you just straight away call the police and say that it sounds like a child is being tortured?

Some people do not live by the same rules as the rest of society.People are wringing their hands because their kid doesn't like the swimming teacher or whatever and a few streets away children are disappearing.

The whole fucking country is utterly broken and a lot of the blame lies with the systematic dismantleing of the welfare state by the Etonian brigade.

It's almost a forgone conclusion that the LA will say Lessons will be learned or This must never happen again....and yet it will . PPs have listed multiple children who have died in circumstances not dissimilar, in recent years, its not such an isolated incident.

But as I said in my previous post, how can lessons be learnt or things be different if nothing is changed. The missed communication between various bodies, visits not being followed up, (presumably lack of time/resources) agencies or organisations not sharing info, or working in conjunction with each other is a repeated theme.

Realistically we are never going to stop violence and abuse, but in all these cases there's a timeline of events obviously reported after the child has died, that's basically a list of red flags when seen altogether, a ticking timebomb but have there been systematic changes or legislation ever implemented to attempt to stop it?

Also wonder if more public awareness is needed, where, when and how to anonymously report if you suspect abuse. (In some cases it's not neccessarily hearing beating or screaming, it might be a number of things you've noticed over a period of time, so police might not be the obvious option)

With respect to the neighbours, how often do you see posts on here asking whether you should report neighbours as concerned about child. Many posters will tell them to keep their nose out of other people’s business. Anyone involved in safeguarding will tell you to report them

I used to work in SS. Believe me this is the norm. Political correctness rules. There would be more angst over a child in a right wing household than in an abusive one.