Can’t get over poor baby Preston

[Doximama2]

Not sure this is an AIBU, I never post on here but just feel I want to today. I am a 59 year old nana of 3 gourgous grandchildren including a one year old boy, the whole story in the need the last few weeks and especially this week about poor baby Preston that was tortured, abused and ultimately murdered by his 2 adoptive “fathers” has completely traumatized me. I am recovering from a big surgery 2 weeks ago so feeling emotional but this has really upset me so much that this was able to happen and that no one, not any social services, medics on visits to the hospital - one even with a broken elbow ffs - friends and family of these monsters realised what was happening and that Preston wasn’t a happy one year old. My grandson is always happy and smiling unless he is poorly so how did this go unnoticed? I had to turn the news off Monday when they showed this poor baby trying to sleep and this monster kept making him wake up.

im not naive, I have worked in public service including health and social services which I think is why I can’t comprehend how this was allowed to happen. It just feels like there is so many awful things in the world, and has made me so sad. 😭

@MrsShawnHatosy unfortunately there are. The welcoming and celebration of all sexualities and fetishes means they feel included. Notable speakers on gay rights have written in support of peadophilia. Peter Tatchell campaigned for 14 year olds to be legally allowed to have sex. What do you think Peter’s motivation for that is?

Could it be there’s more justice in them going to prison than if they got the death penalty? The guards and other prisoners will treat them abominably, I’m sure. And they are two middle-class men who have probably never had to handle themselves against the kinds of people they’ll be locked up with. It certainly won’t be a good time for them.

I hope they get served a large amount of prison justice!!!

Plenty of examples of straight and lesbian couples committing horrific child abuse. I don’t see that their sexuality is relevant

This is the problem isn't it because the birth mother has a horrific criminal record and so the baby deserved to be taken off her. The grandmother had breast cancer and is 66 which is why she was deemed not fit be able to have him although she has the older child. They don't want children particularly babies in foster care if you can in theory have them adopted into a loving family. On paper you would look at the birth mother /grandmother family and the adopters with then no criminal record In successful jobs.
They'll have also done untold damage to gay adoption . Paedophiles are present in all walk of life, social class and sexuality, but they have brought to life the Stereotype and fears people have.

By your logic, straight men abuse children and so households with straight men in them shouldn't be allowed to adopt.

The death of Preston is awful. Its disrespectful for you to use it as a platform for homophobia.

Notable speakers on gay rights have written in support of peadophilia

Who, apart from Tatchell?

ok - was alluding to Peter Tatchell. Who got invited to speak at our school, which makes me feel grim tbh

I’m not homophobic I’m just a realist. Men are more likely to be abusers no matter what their sexual orientation.

My understanding is that he wished to decriminalise 14 year olds having sex with people of similar ages, not that he wanted it to be legal for grown men to have sex with 14 year olds. You may choose not to believe that of course.

Baby Preston’scase is appalling. I cannot understand how people like this get through the adoption vetting process, which obviously needs a thorough overhaul.

I felt sick to the core when I saw that beautiful little boy and read about what had happened. How depraved can men get and I’m sure there’s even worse out there that doesn’t bear thinking about. It’s not enough but there should be a whole life tariff for this and no locking them away in an isolated prison cell for their own safety. Force them to take their chances with the other prisoners and get a taste of their own medicine.

I am well aware of what Tatchell has said and written. But you said

Notable speakers on gay rights have written in support of peadophilia

Which notable gay speakers, other than Tatchell?

No I didn’t, you quoted the wrong poster. I think you meant to quote Shesrunningoutthedoor. .

Agreed, but I'd substitute 'disrespectful' with 'disgusting'.

What makes it all the more painfully frustrating is that he was in and out of hospital. A social worker actually looked into it and decided there was no problem and nothing to see.
Yet another instance of apathy, laziness and stupidity. Lessons, it seems, are never learned.
I genuinely hope that both of those men die in extreme pain and terror in prison at the hands of other inmates, and I'd lie to see those that turned a blind eye to the abuse jailed too. Maybe lessons will be learned a bit better in future if there are actual consequences.

@MrsShawnHatosy. yes hopefully you’re right. But maybe once that law had been passed another campaign would have started. Who knows. I wish the world was a lovely place but it’s not.
I strongly believe women act as protection for children and women are essential in a child’s life. I’m no religious nutter, I’m no homophobe, I’m just a mother who knows I’d protect my kids with every bit of strength I have, and every child deserves love like that

i dont have the answer

something does need to be done to stop anyone abusing/killing children-what that answer is,i dont know

it would have to be done on a case on case basis

i live in the next street to a man (i knew him in rl) who punched his newborn baby in the head in the local kfc (sorry,i dont know how to link)

within days (might be weeks) that baby was dead at his hands-nobody stepped in even though it was on cctv

another family a few more streets away from me where under ss and the parents set their house on fire,killing 4 out of the 5 dc

that soundbite was trotted out-it sounds so bloody glib and than another case happens and the same soundbite is trotted out,and then again at the next one

that is 5 dc within one mile

i know ss/police/other agencies are under unbeliveable pressure,is the answer more money?more staff?more training?less pressure? all of these?

i know ive reported abuse of dc and nothing has been done-in one case they rang the mother to 'have a chat' and case closed (i know this mother well and she was laughing about it-i kept on reporting her and still nothing was done,they did go out,once,and reported back about her 'issues' but nothing was done)

there is no one size fits all but one child dying is one too many,at least one a week die

im not proud of this,but when i had one of my babies i suffered horrific pnd and was a danger to that child (when i say 'not proud' i mean im so ashamed i can sort of say this,anon on here,hes 27 next birthday)

i could have easily slid further and harmed him (i got to the point i could have murdered him)

as it was,i knew i was sliding down that slope and tried to get help for the pnd but the best anyone (my gp) offered me was 'go home and have a cup of tea,youll feel better'

i didnt need a fucking cuppa.i needed help and fast

never got i,i was laughed at and told to 'keep my chin up'

i have zero support at a time i so badly needed it

i did,very slowly get better but he could have been a headline and 'lessons would be learned'

they never do,i wish we all had a magic wand to give us the answers and children wouldnt have to die

Yes I said this.

I'm also struggling. I've read details that I now cannot forget and I couldn't sleep last night through thinking about that poor lovely baby.

I cannot understand why people weren't curious about why he was taken to A&E 3 times in 2 months. Nobody cared and that is so hard to compute.

This keeps happening. Children are known to social services and they still die horribly. I am wondering what kind of society we live in.

Read the 3rd post on the thread.

https://x.com/SAshworthHayes/status/2066884867359494571

The social worker who investigated "decided there wasn't a problem". She wrote this, tweely, to poor Preston himslef.

So sorry! I confused you with @ShesRunningOutTheDoor

I agree. I’ve felt sick since I saw that image of Preston looking so tired. Apparently they kept him awake 😭. Just horrible. Just pray the monsters get their fair share of karma off the other prisoners.

The social worker would have been basing a lot of their decision making on the opinion of the medical staff who saw Preston. The medical staff hadn't seen anything they thought was untoward, and they believed at the time that the injuries they did see were accidental. I don't know whether the social worker could have uncovered anything else going on at the home but they aren't medically trained and are expected to rely on the opinions of those who are.

I wish they would also look back at the case of Poppy Worthington who died in very similar circumstances killed by her father. She never got justice though. I wish there was the same outrage for her as she was important too.