The poor 17 month old -died of broken back

[skydancer1]

I just find these kind of stories of extreme abuse so very upsetting and wish we had better safeguards in place to stop such hideous harm happening or at least continuing (when it's pretty obvious!) to helpless children. Why on earth did the doctor not examine a child because he was already on an at risk register and was 'cranky and miserable' at an appointment and hence he/she failed to notice broken back and ribs? It beggars belief. I'm not a punitive 'hang them flog them' type (in fact I'm strongly against corporal punishment) but in this instance I think the mother should be forcibly sterilised to prevent her ever hurting or 'allowing' such hurt to any other child.

That's a great idea flicksmum. Maybe we could organise something in various places. World Children's day seems like a good day for something like this...

How do I support John Flemming's Early Day Motion?

i desperately want to do something, and really believe that something should be set up in his memory.
i find it unbelievable that the SS wanted to let his 'mother' his baby sister, claiming her human rights as a 'mother'- it seems they were unwilling to take baby peter away from his mother, and despite all the knowledge of what she did to him, they were again unwilling to take another baby away from her. they may as well have signed the death certificate. and the latest news about the letter sent to the govt- why oh why does nobody take responsibility?
and is it just me who felt Ed Balls seemed smug and insincere, smiling throughout his statements. how could anyone seem this way after reading what had happened to this poor little baby?

I hope we can all sign the no 10 petition,
here

I haven't seen Ed Balls but my stomach turned at Sharon Shoosmith at Ascot weeks after the little sweetheart's death. What an entirely sick chain of events.

sorry, missed a character from the link below; petition
petitions.number10.gov.uk/BabyPEnquiry/here

Here it is, thanks for bearing with me

petitions.number10.gov.uk/BabyPEnquiry/

was that the petition for a public enquiry? it wouldnt come up for me but i searched and have signed. ss obviously needs a total review and overhaul. why they were happy to take the mothers excuses of him being "accident prone" and bruising easily is beyond me- surely these would set off alarm bells.
we need to do something in his memory to ensure he is never forgotten. x

I will be there

I think the idea of a walk is excellent and will join in somehow, somewhere. the sentencing is on 15 December isn't it, i just read on this thread that they can only get maximum 14 years. Horrified at this.

Zahrah - I also had a troubled childhood (yes, despite being middle class and attending private schools).

My mother was an alcoholic and I was sexually abused by a family memeber when I was 10. Two of my brothers (one half and one full) grew up to be drug addicts, one has spent much of his adult life in prison and is a violent sociopath. The my other two half brothers (one of whom I hardly knew and one I was very close to) both comitted suicide before I was 20.

I am used to seeking the truth whilst constantly being lied to, it was how I was brought up.

I consider the reason I am so 'normal' compared to my family is that several school friends parents took me under their wings. They let me see what a 'normal' family life could be like, took me on holidays,skiing and camping etc, let me stay in their houses etc. I will be forever grateful to them they made a difference - I want to make a difference now for other children.

Seemes to have emerged today that a letter was sent to govt. ministries from a social worker about failings in Haringey social services 6 months before Peter died. Now they have taken out an injunction against her speaking out. I keep thinking I can't hear anything worse in this case -- then I do. The management of ss in Haringey seem not just negligent but actively blocking any attempts to carry out their duties. Sack the management and start over again. Yes, the scum that lived with this little boy killed him, but social services colluded.

Excellent post re. Camilla Cavendish -- something all professional need to keep in mind, thinking critically and actively all the time.

Idea of a walk is a good one; I was thinking of it this morning. Maybe a candlelight vigil? I'd be there if there was something in Derby/Nottingham.

I'm in the middle east for work this week, away from my son who's only a little older and this story is really affecting me. I haven't read much of the thread, so apologies if I am covering old/irrelevant ground, but I am so angry what a miserable and brutalised existence this poor kid had. I have sent what I hope is an articulate rant through that councils online complaint proceedures. I hope others do to: the address is below

eforms.secure.haringey.gov.uk/ufs/ufsmain?esessionid=1&SERVICE=Children%20and%20Young%20 Peoples%20Service&FEEDBACKAREA=Child%20protection&formid=CORPORATEFEEDBACK&esessionid=1

i posted on that complaints page too, starmucks - I guess like me you may have posted on 'behalf of someone else', ie as a normal member of the public so horrified about this.

I've asked MNHQ to put a link to the petition on the homepage. I dont want to set up another thread, as conscious people are getting really upset over the story and I dont want to perpetuate gloom. Just thought if MumsNet is the place I think it is, then the vast majority of people would sign the petition.

lets hope good comes out of this terrible evil, finally.

Thanks for that, I'm sure the debate has been raging all week. I just haven't had any real access to news over the past couple of days. I posted it under child protection.

So he was on the "at risk" register for 8 months? So he was nine months old when he was put on it? What the fuckin hell were they doing to such a tiny baby that he was put on the register???
How long was it going on for before he was even on it??

I was horrified when I saw this on the news, as was my 10 year old son who was sat with me, I have a 24 month old, I just cannot imagine how sick these people must be, 3 adults in one place at the same time, torturing a baby.. Social services and the government are to blame, how could they not see this was happening, they must have known and chosen not to do anything. People like this won't stop having children - why would they when they can get a council home, child benefit, child working tax etc etc; they are not going to hand over a child they do not love when they are making money from them. We are so soft in this country, these people should be done for murder and locked away for good, not hung as then they get away with it - but left to rot and suffer in a prison. If they get the max sentence of 14 years they will be out in 7, I can't help hope that someone gets revenge.
I can't help wondering where grandparents, aunts, uncles or the natural father was when all this was going on?
I feel so low from this and yet I didn't even know the little chap, he must have been terrified as well as in so much pain - I can't stop wondering who he cried to? Any of you who say you can't watch the news, listen to the horrifying details - you must and protest too - or nothing will ever change. I looked on the internet at the news in the various newspapers and the sun are doing an online petition to get these stupid social services people sacked, also the riddiculous uncaring doctor who failed to see the baby could not even stand up - she should be locked up too!

I have emailed Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children and Beverley Hughes, Children's Minister: their email details here

I have copied my MP on the email and asked him to support John Hemming MP's Early Day Motion in Parliament: find out your MP's contact details - writetothem

I have signed the No.10 Petition (thanks, dearbeatrice): here

Don't let Baby P die in vain.

Heck, I even threw all caution to the wind and signed The Sun's petition: epetition

Thanks Blueshoes for that useful set of links. I've also sent off emails and joined the No 10 petition. I'm not so sure about The Sun's petition - but I'm glad the newspaper is adding pressure nevertheless. I cant attend a march in London at that time unfortunately but if I think it's a great idea.

Dittany I've opened your link but cant see how you add signatures to that motion. How do you do it?

It is also possible to email sharon shoosmith for what it's worth. I've written politely and asked that she resign as the only decent thing to do. You have to google sharon.shoosmith@

Thanks. I've done that now. Dittany you are a font of information

I found the picture of baby Peter in the Sun heartbreaking. he looked quite a lot like my own DS when he was 16/17 months so it hit me even harder what happened to that little boy. I'm trying to focus on positive action now but I am still haunted day and night by that wee boy.

My MP? I had to write to that scoundrel George Galloway which was a bit weird as I thought he was abominable to the lovely Oona King etc. etc.

the mother had a second child, a baby girl who was placed straight into care as it was after baby p's death.