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Original poster

4 year old starved to death by his parents

306 replies

SquidgyMummy · 04/06/2013 19:53

Horrendous Story

What i can't understand is why all the people who could have helped him: Teachers, school nurse, doctors etc could not see he was being mistreated. My 2 1/ year old weighs more than that poor child when he died.
I am just sickened by his needless death and the hand wringing "if only's" by the other adults who should have protected him

OP posts:
AudrinaAdare · 31/07/2013 21:08

Totally agree, willow. There have been frightening posts on here from a mother of an autistic child doing high-level safeguarding training who was trying to explain that for example, unkempt hair or ill-fitting clothes are completely within the boundaries of normal for children on the spectrum and should not be an automatic red-flag. Her concerns were dismissed.

My DS only eats dry food and not too much of that. When we go out for breakfast he has had milk all night because that's the only protein-rich food he'll tolerate but people think we're cruel as we're tucking into our eggs and bacon because he's nibbling a piece of fried bread.

We also let him play on the phone because he has to do eye-contact and conversation all bloody week at school and it's hard work for him and he's just six years old. I'm relaxing chatting to DH and DD so I let him relax in his own way. But to an outsider it looks terrible!

I wonder how many concerns about children with known S.N who are behaving and being treated appropriately and lovingly are clogging up the system?

ihategeorgeosborne · 31/07/2013 21:08

Just heard it on the news and I cried like a baby. I just can't imagine anyone doing that to their children. I can't bear to think about what the poor boy must have gone through in his short little life. God rest his soul Sad

MrButtercat · 31/07/2013 21:10

God just seen the body map on the news,he must have ticked every box on any safeguarding signs of abuse list.I just don't get it.

glitterz · 31/07/2013 21:51

I have zero sympathy for the teacher. She was the only responsible adult who had regular contact with Daniel, daily when he attended school. Yes, she followed procedures and reported it, but when she saw that nothing was happening, surely she could have reported it anonymously to social services or the police? The poor child came to school with black eyes and looked like a bag of bones, he must have felt like no-one cared for him.

She may have did the right thing as a teacher, but failed as an individual.

bico · 31/07/2013 22:01

Will the serious case review consider how the various agencies interacted and work out where the failings were or will it just be an examination of the social services element?

Oblomov · 31/07/2013 22:06

The head was involved, the ta noticed it. A pead was involved. And yet this still happened. Beggars belief.

AudrinaAdare · 31/07/2013 22:11

How do you know the teacher didn't report it anonymously? You don't because by its very nature, you can't. I've done it.

So other than an additional phone call what was she expected to do other than kidnapping the child?

Go to the press? Illegal and rightly so.

What else should she have done? I really mean this seriously because I resigned from a job when a pupil was raped on my watch ie she was in a class of twenty eight with me every day. I had no idea until she presented with an std aged seven and even then the parents, the doctor, the police, S.S, the H.T all knew before I did.

It was the final straw.

Bue · 31/07/2013 22:12

I just saw this on the BBC 10 o clock news. They ended with a picture of this beautiful little boy and I burst into tears :(

OneStepCloser · 31/07/2013 22:12

When I taught the head teacher was in charge of CP, we did have a very serious case and our HT kept the child after school with her in her office whilst she rang the police and SS, the parent was told when they came to pick the child up from school that they could not take them.

I thought that was still standard procedure tbh.

This case is just so shocking, so harrowing to read.

BewleyBear · 31/07/2013 22:14

Poor child, heartbreaking to think what he went through, with nobody to look out for him. So so sad.

MrButtercat · 31/07/2013 22:20

One step we've had similar.

A lesser example I and the head also held onto a child whose father was drunk at pick up several times.

Don't get by contrast how a child making every poss alarm bell go off with bruises can be just handed over.

Also re the eating disorder excuse for not feeding and weight loss,did nobody ask for a GPs note?I've had to provide one just to enable my underweight son to have crackers at playtime.

blueberryupsidedown · 31/07/2013 22:27

Just watched channel4 news and they said that the family had home visits from a 'school health support worker' or nurse I'm not sure, but as far as I can see it was not a social worker, although social services were involved following a visit to hospital for broken arm. Again, at any one point, daja vu anyone, social services were involved, GP, community paediatrician, the school support staff and teacher/headteacher.
Timeline here:
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10214410/Timeline-harrowing-death-of-Daniel-Pelka.html

AudrinaAdare · 31/07/2013 22:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

edam · 31/07/2013 22:35

The most heart-breaking evidence at the trial was from his sibling, who had tried to find food for Daniel and had tried to protect him and comfort him. A little kid, also left in the hands of two abusers, had taken on far more responsibility than all the adults who should have protected Daniel. I just hope the sibling(s) are safe and happy now and get support in somehow coping with what happened to them and their brother.

His poor teacher (or TA, I'm not sure) gave harrowing evidence at the trial. The poor woman was distraught. She had tried to raise the alarm, I think repeatedly, and had been kind to Daniel. I think it said she no longer works in schools - it sounded as if she was too traumatised. I got the impression that she had tried to get help for Daniel but had been fobbed off or persuaded by those who should have taken the case on that the right procedures were being followed.

OneStepCloser · 31/07/2013 22:49

I was wondering if it was just my old HT MrButter although i was led to believe this is the standard practice so good to know other schools did as well which is why I don't understand what had happened at Daniels school. Surely the HT was head of CP in the school?

The teacher will tell the HT who has the power to act, or so I thought, it's not for the teacher to inform the relevant agencies. Or has it changed?

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 31/07/2013 22:54

Audrina the things you are saying about the little girl are heart breaking and harrowing and I am genuinely sorry for the trauma she went through and the fact that you witnessed it.....

but can you ask for these posts to be deleted. You've given quite a bit of information about her and I would be worried about any IRL identification going on.

TabithaStephens · 31/07/2013 22:58

Social workers in this country just don't seem to care, they hide behind rules and regulations and when something goes wrong, mouth platitudes but nothing ever seems to change.

AudrinaAdare · 31/07/2013 23:07

It was a number of years ago, over a decade, and the situation is not uncommon sadly but I will ask HQ.

edam · 31/07/2013 23:13

I just saw somewhere else that apparently the mother had managed to con a hospital doctor into thinking Daniel had an eating disorder. Rather than being a victim of abuse. Which goes some way to explaining why the school were inhibited from doing more.

That hospital doctor's actions and diagnosis need to be very seriously examined by the serious case review.

AudrinaAdare · 31/07/2013 23:22

I'd like to know who this highly-paid professional was, given that their opinion was given enough credence to override the concerns of the lowly people who saw Daniel frequently.

timtam23 · 31/07/2013 23:28

The additional details coming out since the verdicts are even more harrowing (if that were possible). That poor poor little boy. The comments from the CPS and the police indicate that they were really affected by this case & absolutely horrified by what was done to Daniel, which to me says a lot, as I'd imagine that they're accustomed to seeing pretty awful things. Very traumatic for the jurors too I expect - the cruelty and his injuries are not easily forgotten.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 31/07/2013 23:28

I'm not trying to remove the post to take away the magnitude of what happened to the little girl Audrina. ISWYM about the time scale though. Unlikely anyone would see it and think "Oh I know that girl" but you can't tell.

Many years ago I had to report a little girl with suspicious 'marks' on her clothing.
No idea what happened though (it was all taken out of my hands and dealt with) but it chokes me even now to think of it.

AudrinaAdare · 31/07/2013 23:40

70 I think it could be removed and people would get the gist without any details. I've asked HQ anyway. Sorry you have beem in a similar position.

hollyisalovelyname · 01/08/2013 08:35

I can't read the reports. That poor little boy...... and so many people would have loved to have given him love and kindness. What's wrong with the world. I despair.??

LaVolcan · 01/08/2013 11:07

Yet again there is a stepfather involved. How many times is this the case?

Note - I am not saying that all stepfathers are bad - some are excellent fathers to their step children.