to not be able to stop thinking about that poor little girl in today's news?

[theressomethingaboutmarie]

You know, the 3 year old who was so neglected, that she died of pneumonia and malnutrition and according to the coroner, knew that she was unloved, unwanted and not cared for. She would stare out of the window of the room that was locked in hoping that someone would help her.

COME ON MUM'S - LET'S MAKE A STAND. WHO WILL JOIN ME IN PLEDGING TO NOT BEING BOTHERED ABOUT BEING CONSIDERED TO BE NOSY OR A BUSYBODY? WHO WILL JOIN ME IN COMMITTING TO SPEAKING OUT WHEN WE THINK THAT A CHILD IS BEING MISTREATED?

Sorry about the caps but it's an issue to shout about. Sign up below and remember the pledge that you have made.

OMG how sad that poor little girl

I hope the parents get what they deserve

Jesus.

An eye for an eye- her 'parents' should be left in a room to starve with a load of hungry pit bulls.

How the hell can anyone do that to their child!?

It was under my old name, not sure how to direct you to it or update without spoiling this thread, iyswim, or should I just let you know on here, it is relevant after all.

Wel it happened much easier than I thought it would.
I saw them one day and one of the eldest had a bleeding leg, she said she was fine but I insisted I take her home.

Their mother was really grateful, they are home ed'd and used to live in the west country where I assume free range children are more common.

I told her I'd seen them around and she said they love playing out, she watches them from the windows when she can and trusts the oldest to look after them.

We had a two hour chat, lots of cups of tea, she has MS and is reluctant to get carers in, she seemed very loving and educated. (God now I sound judgey but I just want to let you know)

I've been round again fopr a coffee and seen the kids many times since and they all call me by name and seem pleased to see me and the DC. I still buy them ice creams too.

She was very grateful to have someone to drink coffee with apparantly all the other mums around here exclude her.

i will pledge that marie.

i odn;t understand if 13 months before this poor girl died, it was known she was left alone in the residential quarters, that were soiled by pets, that some help was not instigated by the relevant agencies at that point.

terrible and disgraceful failure at every stage by everyone who should have played a role in safe guarding this young girl.

It's not just the agencies - maybe no-one ever called them. It's every person who saw the poor mite standing at the window. Or knew there was a child but never saw her around.

I really hope that if I saw anything like this, I'd call someone - the NSPCC, SS, the police, whatever.

true edam,.,. what is that saying about it takes a village to raise a child?

we all have a collective responsibilty, but it is scary to excercise it

I will pledge to that.

I have reported a child I was worried about. I um'd and ah'd over it for a while but decided that I would rather live with hassle from the neighbour if I was wrong than have a poor baby put in danger.

Far better for us adults, in control of our own lives as we are, to risk being embarassed or even attacked than for a vulnerable chid not to get the help they are desperate for. I agree with the op - I will speak out.

You know what the most tragic thing of all is?

There's not one photograph available for Tiffany Hirst. In all of Tiffany's short little life, it appears that no-one loved her enough to take her photograph.

what got me is that room was infested with beetles.

there is no justice in this world that can ever be sufficient to mete out to these people.

but never being free again in this lifetime would help.

horrific. so so sad.
can't bear it at the moment - too many stories like this around

what is wrong with the world????

i pledge with you marie.

What I don't understand with people like this, is why do they keep the children? If they don't want them, and they won't or can't look after them, and they know they are probably going to end up killing them, why don't they get them taken somewhere safe? Call social services and get them to take them away. Leave them outside the police station with a note. Leave them at a hospital with a note. Why do they hang onto them? It just doesn't make sense.

I honestly think that until a social worker or someone similar is prosecuted for not following up on a lead, nothing will change. I am sure there are plenty of good social workers but I wonder how many evr have to face up to their decisions.

Jesus Christ. The fear and sadness that poor little child must have felt in her heart and a 12m old survived - it just beggars belief. They must have witnessed her dying before their eyes, such a painful death...

I am just shocked that "people" were aware of this child staring out of a window walked on by but I suppose we don't know the full story. I would happily risk myself being classed as interfering by reporting something I felt was amiss, although I don't suppose it may make much difference.

Oh heavens, not a single photograph? This is unbearably poignant. Poor little love.

i feel sick

I can not believe this happened. That poor child. I hope she is at peace now and the other baby is cared for and loved...

I saw this in the local paper yesterday; it is horrific. The poor poor little girl. I hope she is now at peace, safe from further suffering

I suspect the parents "kept" her as it meant keeping the money she brought in for them in terms of child benefit, etc.

Been thinking about why these people let their daughter get into such a state
I guess that when some initial neglect "takes hold", as it were, and begins to show itself in weight loss, etc etc, the parents don't want to seek help because they know they'll be in bother, so they shove the issue to the backs of their minds, and it eventually gets to a point where they no there's no return from the physical/psychological damage, and then they just carry on their lives, trying to hide what they're doing and not really thinking about it, even though they know it'll end sooner or later, and they'll go to jail
probably the fact that they were pub landlords meant that they had a certain image to maintain, and they and their customers just got caught in a cycle of denial/ignorance etc
maybe they told customers that tiffany wasn't well......
who knows
not one picture, though.....when i think of the hundreds and hundreds we have of DS
i don't mean this to be morbid, but i'm haunted by the idea of her maybe eating the beetles to try and survive and it's sickening, heartbreaking
i hope they get life and suffer every day

the way they left her little body, which was covered in insect bites.

insects crawling all over her.

my god, i cannot bear to think of my children even being too cold at night when they sleep.

dd1 has SN, she has motor skills delays and every day i'm so grateful she was given to us and not to someone who would abuse or harm her for that.

god rest wee tiffany's soul. and i pray for the police who had to find that. they will be haunted for life and i read that they were all crying.