Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
News
Original poster

Anyone been following the Jordan Burling death case *warning, distressing*

263 replies

SealSong · 10/07/2018 20:42

Has anyone been following this baffling and tragic case?
Mother and Grandmother have been convicted of manslaughter today.
Jordan aged 18 died at home, emaciated and with bed sores, having had no medical treatment.

Details of the court case in here - warning contains very distressing details.

I am struggling to understand how this could have happened. How the mother and grandmother could have failed to get medical attention, and also how Jordan just gave up and wasted away, when there were no apparent special needs, mental illness or specific health problems (as far as is known). Although surely he must have had some kind of undiagnosed mental illness or something.

I'm surprised that there hasn't been a thread on Mumsnet about this case, it has been in national news, but not very high priority I suppose.

One of the strangest and saddest cases I have ever heard of.

OP posts:
GarethSouthgateWould · 14/07/2018 08:13

Can you describe this 'look'. Autism is a neurodevelopmenal disorder, it does not have physical or facial characteristics.

Floradoranora · 14/07/2018 08:38

Can you describe this 'look'. Autism is a neurodevelopmenal disorder, it does not have physical or facial characteristics

I could but I don’t feel the need to.

GarethSouthgateWould · 14/07/2018 08:56

That's a no then.

ShadowHuntress · 14/07/2018 09:10

I know some pp have mentioned the baby was the sisters. But, it says the remains had been there for 14 years and as she is only 25 years that would mean she was 11 when she gave birth. More likely to be mums baby

petrolpump28 · 14/07/2018 09:43

Anyway back to the extended family....the father walking around with that photo on hid phone.

Then kicking off because the authorities hadnt helped.

I seem to remember the Grandmother in the Baby P case complaining.

Absolute rubbish. They knew and did nothing.

differentnameforthis · 14/07/2018 09:52

I could but I don’t feel the need to. But yet you are SO sure there is a look? Someone has asked you to back up your assertion of a "look" and you refuse to oblige. Tells me all I need to know...

Floradoranora · 14/07/2018 10:24

That's a no then.

It’s nothing more than me not being interested in discussing it with you.

differentnameforthis · 14/07/2018 10:40

If you say so, but it speaks volumes.

Floradoranora · 14/07/2018 10:48

If you say so, but it speaks volumes

If that pleases you then so be it.

NorfolkRattle · 14/07/2018 23:33

At least 3 separate posters(I am one of them) have said that there is a particular look that many, not all, ASD people have. These 3 posters have all family members who are on the spectrum. As such, over the years we will ahve encountered quite a few people who have ASD. We KNOW that ASD is a neurological disorder, so please stop patronizing.

My guess is, you yourself don't have this particular look (or you don't think you do). . .and that you're struggling to accept that not all ASD people are the same as you.

You don't really want a discussion, that's clear.

CantankerousCamel · 14/07/2018 23:43

I agree that there can be obvious signs of ASD.

I have even seen it on social work reports, so it definitely is ‘a thing’

differentnameforthis · 15/07/2018 04:20

NorfolkRattle Are you addressing me? Because it would be helpful to know...

If you are, you are so wrong. I too have experience of many relatives with autism, and a "look" is something that isn't, in my opinion, there.

You also seem to have an issue accepting that not all ASD people are the same as you.

differentnameforthis · 15/07/2018 04:21

I agree that there can be obvious signs of ASD. No one is disagreeing about signs, I disagree with the assumption that there is a "look" to autism, unless look means something new...

Sammyham88 · 15/07/2018 04:56

Hang on a minute, there was a dead baby found in a rucksack from possibly 1992 and we're all over looking this or have I missed something?

How??

Bumpitybumper · 15/07/2018 05:38

@Thesearmsofmine
Home Educating parents legally should be assumed to being good parents too, do why would they need to be annually monitored and have home checks without concerns or evidence there is a problem?
Isn't the answer to this question pretty obvious, children who attend school are much more visible to teachers and other people trained in safeguarding children and therefore it is more likely (although admittedly not certain) that any red flags for abuse or neglect will be spotted and acted upon? Do you think Jordan would has been allowed to deteriorate to this extent if he attended school without someone somewhere at least asking some questions?

Dont get me wrong, I think the vast majority of parents who HS their children are good parents that want the best for their children but why should this assumption not be checked just to make sure that there is nothing untoward going on? It just seems to me that home educators object to being monitored as it is inconvenient, intrusive and undermining but none of these reasons outweigh the need to protect vulnerable children who may otherwise be completely off the radar of other public bodies.

I am so angry on behalf of Jordan that nobody seemed to notice that he had just ostensibly disappeared from public life and he was left to just waste away in his bedroom. His family clearly weren't up to the job of looking after him and there needs to be safeguards in place for other vulnerable people in similar positions so this doesn't happen again.

Thesearmsofmine · 15/07/2018 07:24

Bumpitybump it wasn’t me who wrote that. I have already said I am not against annual checks.

Loopytiles · 15/07/2018 07:34

There are not sufficient checks on DC who are “home schooled”.

IMO home schooling families’ desire not to have visits or checks from the state and education/social service resource problems don’t outweigh the risks to a small number ot abused or neglected DC.

Better electronic records would help. Eg presumably young Jordan did no GCSEs. With electronic education records that could have triggered checks.

MalloryLaurel · 15/07/2018 07:39

Asd is not a neurological disorder. That implies it's an illness. It is a difference in the structure of the brain. A difference not an illness or disorder.

StorminaBcup · 15/07/2018 08:01

Asd is not a neurological disorder. That implies it's an illness. It is a difference in the structure of the brain. A difference not an illness or disorder.. Confused

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized by repetitive and characteristic patterns of behavior and difficulties with social communication and interaction. The symptoms are present from early childhood and affect daily functioning - www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-Fact-Sheet

Worriedandsad1 · 15/07/2018 08:21

When I was working in a school, there was one particular family that everyone avoided. They children never bathed and were infested with head lice. This went on for YEARS. One day one of the daughters had a melt down as the mashed potato was too spicy so she couldn't eat. Her teeth were badly rotten. Nearly everyone's response was to remark how she shouldn't have freaked out like that, but maybes the cook should put less pepper in the mash. Seriously? Educated 'normal' folk thought her attitude was the problem??
I reported the family to social services.
I was hauled over the coals by the school because it wasn't my business to report the family. Social services were already aware and if I did it again, I'd be sacked.
Her teeth stayed decaying and less pepper was put in the mash.
THAT'S how families like Jordan's continue to happen.

Xiaoxiong · 15/07/2018 08:25

@MalloryLaurel the D in ASD stands for disorder. People with ASD do have a disorder than interferes with normal processing and functioning - yes, on a spectrum and to different degrees, but to get a diagnosis of ASD there is definitely disordered neurological processing which impacts daily life and functioning.

@Worriedandsad1 when were you working in that school, was it before the Victoria Climbe case? All the schools are so hot on safeguarding and child protection these days, the duty to report would be on all those staff.

Kpo58 · 15/07/2018 08:44

Better electronic records would help. Eg presumably young Jordan did no GCSEs. With electronic education records that could have triggered checks.

The lack of GCSEs wouldn't have triggered anything. Remember there is no set curriculum for home educated children, so in theory they never sit any exams unless their parents have chosen and paid for them to do so.

CeridwensCottage · 15/07/2018 08:56

Asd is not a disorder. It’s a different type of brain wiring which is genetically inherited. It’s generally referred to as a ‘condition’ now. The only reason it’s considered ‘disordered’ is because autistic people differ so much from the majority of the population. It’s not a tick box disease.

petrolpump28 · 15/07/2018 08:56

Worriedandsad, thats terrible. You were in trouble for reporting concerns?
I hope that was some time ago and things have improved.
Although maybe not.

In this case neighbours? How can somebody just disappear.

CeridwensCottage · 15/07/2018 08:59

Autistic people are not designed to live in the neurotypically designed world which is why we struggle so much and appear strange and disordered.