Baby Preston Davey - Content warning concerns CSA (added by MNHQ)

[Sadmamma35]

I’ve just read about baby Preston Davey and I cannot stop thinking about him. I have a 13-month-old of my own, which is probably why this has hit me so hard — I can really relate and my baby is my everything.
I’m crying as I write this. Why does it hurt so much for a baby I’ve never even met? Has anyone else felt this way?
How do you cope with the negative thoughts that follow when you read something like this? 💙

When ds was about 15 months, a little girl almost the same age was killed by an XL Bully. It is horrendous, it really hits hard. Sorry it’s upset you OP, it is an unbearable case and my heart goes out to his poor mum.

I hear you. My LO is a similar age and I did go and give my DC an extra squishy hug when it was on the news because I just can't hear how heartbreaking it is.

4 months of pure torture and the suggestions of how he actually died is just beyond belief.

I feel for the foster carer too who cared for him from birth then had to hand him over.

Every now and again there is a news story that is just heartbreaking. This is one of those stories. That poor little boy 😭

I can’t read the articles about it. That poor wee innocent helpless child.
Where were the people overseeing the adoption. I thought it was really difficult to adopt in the UK.

Well, they didn’t announce their intentions.

I hold largely progressive views but in cases such as these I would absolutely support castration along with a life sentence with no parole. In solitary confinement.

So what would be the point of castration? Anyway, I’m not going to get into a discussion about what should happen to the perpetrators. Nothing will bring that poor child back.

Was their intention all along to adopt a child so they could abuse them or did the intention only come after they had adopted him.
I really can’t wrap my head around such evilness to such a young innocent child

I am not homophobic at all. My best friend is a lesbian, and she and her partner are planning to adopt. I am genuinely excited to support them on that journey. They are a lovely couple and very well prepared. They understand what adoption involves, and my friend is even focusing on her fitness so she can be as healthy and present as possible for their future child.

What I am trying to express is slightly different. In my own experience, there can be limits to what some men are able to handle in day-to-day parenting. My husband is incredibly supportive and very hands-on at home, but there are still moments where I seem to have more patience or endurance, especially at night. For example, our son is a very poor sleeper, and I am usually the one who gets up repeatedly to settle him, while my husband struggles to continue after a short time.

For me, it feels as though we ( women) are more instinctively wired to respond in those situations. That is not a criticism, just an observation based on my own experience.

I completely agree, but none of this will bring that poor baby back or undo the suffering he endured in his short life. I held my little one much tighter this evening.

I completely agree, but none of this will bring that poor baby back or undo the suffering he endured in his short life. I held my little one much tighter this evening.

I don't think it is that men don't make good parents, it's that paedophiles don't make good parents.
This baby wasn't accidentally shaken by a frustrated, sleep deprived dad, he was brutally sexually abused until he died.

Yes, I was shocked to her about his previous injuries and that this hadn’t been followed up on. I suspect they weren’t because they were seen as a ‘naice middle class family’.

A nice couple and also professionals who would have had a lot of safeguarding training and would know the right things to say.
And also probably too much optimism from the social worker to want the adoption to work out.

I felt the same about Arthur who was living not far from me and my DD was a couple of years older. I kept thinking about him being stuck in that house with no one looking after him and we were down the road.

There is no right thing to say to A and E to explain away 3 hospital trips with injuries to a baby in a month. This should have been acted upon.

No they didn’t.

But his foster mum raised concerns that were ignored. Medical staff missed non-accidental injuries numerous times. There were signs and it should have been preventable.

I am so sorry for upsetting you. Before coming here, I spoke to my sister and my husband, and neither of them even wanted to hear about it. I even asked ChatGPT, which suggested not reading the news, but I needed to let it out somehow.

I'm pretty sure his foster carer raised concerns that he was being 'hidden', she raised a complaint I think but sadly foster carers are often brushed to one side when they raise these kinds of concerns. Social services visited after each hospital admission but were reassured that there were no safeguarding concerns.

I really feel for the jury in this case too. I hope they are well supported.

Please don't think you've upset me, you haven't, those evil monsters have. I've also experienced the same thing, dh can't bear to talk about this case, he's a teacher too and can't believe how these monsters slipped under the radar. It's been good to vent my frustrations on here, especially after going through the adoption process myself, I just can't get my head around how this abuse wasn't spotted. We were rigorously checked out before, during and after the adoption and rightly so! After reading about such evil it's good to know there are people out there who care, yourself (OP) and all the other people who have commented so emotionally on this thread. RIP Preston, you are loved x

You are right..

What a lovely person you are. Your adopted child will be so lucky to have a parent like you. I wish you a smooth and positive journey, and I truly hope everything works out beautifully for you and that this lucky child has an amazing life.❤️

Yes I read that too. That social services did visit after each A&E visit but were reassured