In general abuse isn't like this- its incipient, its often done by parents who are loving but have too many other issues to be able to cope. This sort of abuse is very much the rarest- thank Heaven- how the aprents could be anything other than mentally ill I do not know. Saddened tor ead that if they left jail after the minimum term they'd still be in there mid fifties! In these cases. life should mean life.
lack of oys is soemthing a SW should pick up on, but short of searching the house I gues its hard. Whats the first thing many of us do when e have a visitor? pack away all traces of child. We're fortunate enough to have a playroom (sacrificed the dining room) so we just close the door- to anyomne in our front room (not atm, trains and an inflatable lobster in domination!) after a tidy up, there are no toys.
I think you can tell a lot from photographs though. One Mum I used to work with, gave up her first child after her are was less than acceptable. when she had twins later on poeple argued she was emtmtionally cold and didnt love her children (at the SW planning meeting)- in relaity after I vivited, her entire house was plastered in pictures of her daughter. Five yeras later she ahd matured, and is an excelletn Mum to the girls.
Sayingt hat i don't think we have many photos about either, all in boxes waiting to be sorted. Must remember to rlave playroom open when we get any MW visits!