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THAT family in sheffield...

71 replies

MyXmasPuddingSixpenceworth · 21/12/2005 23:58

have no link, but it has been all over the news, 'parents' for want of a better word, with (think it's 5) children ranging from 13months to 7yrs, kids were found starving (one with LIVE MAGGOTS in nappy). Parents have been jailed for 7 yrs. Good. but what was also horrible was learning that sw expect less from parents in deprived areas than from affluent areas, in terms of nurturing - so signs of neglect that would have led to action in some cases, are just left in others? I must surely have misunderstood that, I can't believe it - the implications are terrifying.

Whole story had me in tears, I just wanted to go get those kids and have them myself.

OP posts:
lanismum · 22/12/2005 10:13

this story had me in tears when i saw it on the tv, the parents are pure scum, no matter how old they were, there are so many familys that cant have their own children and would have been willing to foster/adopt
at least they got to the kids in time, and hopefully they can go on to have caring parents.

DanceOfThePeachyPlumFairy · 22/12/2005 10:39

Poor, poor kids. I hope the parents suffer in jail, there is simply no excuse for this.

I don't know if the standards in deprived areas are expected to be lower as such, but at the kids charity I worked for I had a relatively small area to cover (two SureStart estates), whilst the others covered huge geographical areas. Bt then, people with sn, mental health issues, addictions are more likely to end up in sink estates aren't they, and these people are more likely to struggle with parenting.

Am I surprised by the story? No. The stories of neglect I could tell you where SS were 'too busy- cold you just monitor for a while' or where they took no action despite an obvious risk (eg the Mother who got her DH to beat her up nightly in an attempt to kill her unborn baby (7 months pg) whilst her under sixes roamed the streets).

System collapsing in on itself. everyone says there are no dedicated SW, butt hat's rubbish- there are simply not enough hours or recruits. I would haveloved to train as a SW, but had to go for an alternative as the pay would never cover the financial investment.

Are our kids not worth the input?

DanceOfThePeachyPlumFairy · 22/12/2005 10:40

Poor, poor kids. I hope the parents suffer in jail, there is simply no excuse for this.

I don't know if the standards in deprived areas are expected to be lower as such, but at the kids charity I worked for I had a relatively small area to cover (two SureStart estates), whilst the others covered huge geographical areas. Bt then, people with sn, mental health issues, addictions are more likely to end up in sink estates aren't they, and these people are more likely to struggle with parenting.

Am I surprised by the story? No. The stories of neglect I could tell you where SS were 'too busy- cold you just monitor for a while' or where they took no action despite an obvious risk (eg the Mother who got her DH to beat her up nightly in an attempt to kill her unborn baby (7 months pg) whilst her under sixes roamed the streets).

System collapsing in on itself. everyone says there are no dedicated SW, butt hat's rubbish- there are simply not enough hours or recruits. I would haveloved to train as a SW, but had to go for an alternative as the pay would never cover the financial investment.

Are our kids not worth the input?

TheVillageIdiot · 22/12/2005 10:40

I remember the story coming out, so, so sad.. I think one of the twins is blind as a direct result and that the oldest child was trying to look after the others. Who knows what effect this will have on the children in the long term. I just find it impossible to comprehend. Poor poor children - 7 years is NOT enough

northerner · 22/12/2005 10:41

7 years is NOT enough for these vile people. They should rot in hell.

DanceOfThePeachyPlumFairy · 22/12/2005 10:43

They should have been tried for attmpted murder in my (not leggaly informed) opinion.

Hulababy · 22/12/2005 11:09

It's so horrid isnt it? Remeber the story breaking the first time round. I shudder and feel sick when I even think of those poor children. As we are local it is all over our local news and papers again at the moment.

7 years is just not enough for what they did to those poor children.

Wherever those children are now - I hope they are having the most fantastic Christmas, full of love and fun.

Hulababy · 22/12/2005 11:10

They were eventually found because the oldest one finally gave the story away at school I think.

Hulababy · 22/12/2005 11:13

Think it is really important to remember here that this parents were capable of keeping the house clean and is a good state of affairs and did have access to money. Whilst their children leaved in squalor and misery and pain every day of their lives, the to parents had one room in the hosuse that was spotless and full of luxuries such as playstations, TVs, DVDs etc.

doormat · 22/12/2005 11:16

hulababy yes that is right, they had all mod cons i'd heard

is that all they got, a paltry 7 yrs

2manyglassesofmulledwine · 22/12/2005 11:16

I saw a report about this on the news last night and, quite apart from the horror at the news itself, I was shocked that they quoted this statistic "on average, one child a week is killed by its parent/guardian".

DinosaurInAManger · 22/12/2005 11:17

How the hell could they do it? Really, how the hell! Have you seen the photo on the link I posted?

IntergalacticTheRedNosedWalrus · 22/12/2005 11:22

Disgusting. I don't know who I am more shocked at though, the parents or our shit social welfare system.

IntergalacticTheRedNosedWalrus · 22/12/2005 11:23

Havent SS learnt from the Victoria Climbie (sp?)tragedy? After all the simpering they did about "lessons learnt" etc, they are still failing thousands of families.

charlietherednosedpussy · 22/12/2005 11:24

This has made me cry
The housing association house I moved into and live in now had crap all smeared up the walls and in the radiators and everything. Everywhere except my bedroom which would have been the mums room
Someone my mum spoke to said they had been in the house once(to home check for a rescue dog) and when they left they had to go home to have a bath. The kids were whinging and there was crap everywhere, you couldnt see the floor and there was a bloke in the corner rocking looking vacant.
She rang social services who said they were aware of the family.
They now live round the corner, kids still with them.

Hulababy · 22/12/2005 11:28

"The children, now aged between two and a half and nine, are now happy and healthy in foster homes, according to social workers."

Happy Christmas too those little ones. Such a shame that they are probably no longer together.

wessexgirl · 22/12/2005 11:55

Saw a report on C4 news last night that said the twins are still together but their older siblings are in separate homes - they do get to meet up every so often apparently.

Also on that report, the head of Sheffield City Council was interviewed about why this had happened, given they were one of 5 'pathfinding' councils completely reorganising their childrens' services in the wake of the Victoria Climbie tragedy.

He said they'd only got round to training half the staff so far so new policies were yet to be implemented. But how long ago was the VC case now? It's been a while.

Most councils are now creating a new childrens' service with more 'joined-up' communication between health, social services and education. I just hope it will prevent more of these dreadful situations. And I definitely hope people working in deprived areas will not consider signs of neglect and abuse 'normal' for the area any more.

IntergalacticTheRedNosedWalrus · 22/12/2005 12:05

And for these children tha hopefully have been rescued in the nick of time, how many others are living in the same conditions unnoticed? And how many more Victoria Climbies do there have to be before they get off their arses and take seriously and follow up all signs of neglect and abuse?

homemama · 22/12/2005 13:04

I know a lot of people won't agree with me on this but I actually think that their crime is far worse than that of someone who snaps, hits out and kills.

I once read an article about a guy who served 12 years for hitting another bloke in the street (drunken Sat eve). The guy died from the blow.

Now I know he took a life, but for me, the premeditation of deliberately starving your own children to death whilst subjecting them to horrific living conditions is a greater abomination than a drunken irrisponsible tragedy.

The guy in question felt he deserved his punishment BTW. I'm betting they feel hard done by with theirs. and so, so at this.

doormat · 22/12/2005 13:06

agree homemama
it is the intent of the crime

wessexgirl · 22/12/2005 13:06

Another horrible thing about this story is that they apparently had family living close by who 'knew the twins were malnourished'. Surely they are also guilty of neglect as well if that is so?

bauble99 · 22/12/2005 18:22

Don't worry. Someone will be along in a minute to say it wasn't 'their fault'.

And who can blame them? We now live in such a blameless society. Government ministers lie and cheat and are sacked under duress, only to be re-instated months later. Parents starve, neglect and nearly kill their children but someone will defend them, saying that their 'history' is their defence. No responsibility.

It's crap. I hate it.

katierocket · 22/12/2005 18:26

7 years jail sentence for this crime is an absolute disgrace, especially when you consider that they wiill probably serve half of that. Sickening.

puffoeufnog · 22/12/2005 18:28

There have been some awful cases of abuse, neglect and murder of children on the news in the last few days.

How many of the children were of school age?

Given the conditions they were living in, surely they would be turning up to school in a very poor physical state. You do notice these things as a teacher. I'm just horrified they suffered for so long.

bauble99 · 22/12/2005 18:31

If that. And whoever adopts their children will have to 'acknowledge and respect' the birth family. Like the birth parents showed any respect for their children?????