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Original poster

THE ACCUSED ------ CHANNEL 5 now

317 replies

RTKangaMummy · 06/02/2017 21:02

Now

OP posts:
homebythesea · 06/02/2017 22:33

I'm quite surprised she was convicted (on the basis of the evidence we saw anyway). Not sure the prosecution had enough to demonstrate she definitely knew Kyle was a danger and/or she saw or knew about the assault on the baby. Obvs not the same as saying she was not guilty IYSWIM.

I wonder whether she persuaded herself that Kyle was not responsible because to think otherwise would be to admit to herself she had put the baby in an unsafe scenario.

Fascinating all round- she was clearly not a stupid girl (her vocabulary was very good) clearly not from a background of poverty etc. Just deluded I guess.

grounddown · 06/02/2017 22:34

How. bloody. odd.

HalfShellHero · 06/02/2017 22:39

I wasnt surprised she got convicted but I can imagine how she'll cope in prison , shes such a delicate thing and a bit , Best documentary ive seen in a while hope there's another.

friendlyflicka · 06/02/2017 22:43

Her and her mother were so alike. Made me just wonder what her story was...

Glitter3 · 06/02/2017 22:47

Just finished watching this. I don't believe her, I feel she's is young, lost and a victim of domestic violence herself. She's trapped and brainwashed by him. He still has control over her even from prison. She knows what happened that night. She's has to, she knew he was violent to her. That text message proved it. I feel sorry for her. If only she was honest she might of had a chance to fight for her kids as a single mum. She too was a victim in this but her loyalty to kyle has got her sent down.

Roxyb1991 · 06/02/2017 22:53

I watched it and found myself getting really annoyed by it. So if she's sure she didn't do it or her partner didn't do it, then who did? I don't believe a word she said. How can a baby get such injuries and for her to start defending her boyfriend after it showed him admitting it on facebook then shame on her, she doesn't deserve to be a mother. I would no way let anyone lay a finger on my babies. I'd make sure he went to prison for a very long time. X

friendlyflicka · 06/02/2017 23:01

Roxyb1991, that's the normal reaction: that is why her responses were so strange.

Roxyb1991 · 06/02/2017 23:05

I know, defiantly something not right there. I feel sorry for her poor kids :( x

MeadowHay · 06/02/2017 23:08

This is a tragic story, I was following it in the news loosely, I didn't know this programme was going to be about that particular case. I feel so, so sad for that beautiful baby who will be severely disabled for the rest of its life. And I struggle to feel anything but disgust regarding the father, rightly or wrongly. But I do feel some sadness towards the mother. Not empathy but sadness and I was surprised she was convicted. We haven't really studied the specific law on offences against children on my degree so I can't say anything about the legal tests for things but based on my knowledge of the rest of the area of offences against the person (which admittedly is very different I guess) I didn't think there was anywhere near enough evidence to prosecute her for those crimes beyond reasonable doubt. Perhaps there was a lot more evidence though that we didn't get to see that convinced the jury more.

I don't think prison will do anything but to damage her more and now she will have no chance of ever having children again in the future that she will be allowed to parent herself. I don't think she has anything but an utterly miserable life ahead of and I feel that is sad. She is clearly a victim of domestic abuse and needs help and support. Imprisoning her will not benefit anyone.

I also agree with PP comments about her mother, she is a carbon copy of her mum and I strongly suspect her mother has been a victim of abuse before, and the girl probably had witnessed it and normalised the ideas of a relationship to help teach her what she thinks a "normal" relationship is. I think they are both completely skewed ideas of what relationships should be like. I don't think she would ever have purposefully hurt her baby though it is clear she should have called 999 straight away when she saw it was so hurt - but then it seems like she literally believes everything Kyle says so if he said "don't worry she'll be fine" would she belive it and that's why she left it longer? She clearly is very psychologically damaged and her cognitave dissonance as PP have talked about was so striking.

Tragic story as stories like these always are. We must think about how we as a society can help prevent things like this in the first place. How can we improve access to support for women in DV situations, how can we teach young people about healthy relationships, how can we improve access to mental health support etc. We all have a role to play and these awful things don't happen in a vaccum and don't happen just because someone is born a "monster".

annawrigleyhowe · 06/02/2017 23:16

To PP that said about bleeding from her bottom - it was retinal bleeding (eyes) not rectal. I thought the same at first

Original poster
RTKangaMummy · 06/02/2017 23:19

Ok thanks for clearing that up

It didn't make sense for shaken baby and couldn't understand why not talked about or that she wouldn't have noticed when changing nappy etc

OP posts:
Benedikte2 · 06/02/2017 23:38

I think this was a better outcome than cases I've known where it's been decided not to prosecute either parent because both deny any knowledge . One victim is blind, deaf , brain damaged and crippled and unable to do anything for herself, or even express her emotions except by screaming or smiling. She's cared for by devoted foster parents but they are becoming elderly. Absolutely no one has been held accountable yet the expert opinion of many medicos is that she was shaken not once but twice.

viques · 06/02/2017 23:40

That poor little baby. Sounds as though they pulled the wool over SS eyes when the earlier report said he posed no threat to the baby. I think his sentence is too short, and hers is a travesty, her story about spending 40 minutes making a feed, then going to bed but being aware of the baby not being right and making funny noises makes my blood run cold. The poor little soul must have been suffering for hours before the pair of them called 101. 101 ffs, not even 999.

Benedikte2 · 06/02/2017 23:43

Sadly there are women who value a relationship with a male as more important than that with their children. Given a clear choice of severing the relationship with the man who has abused their children or having their children removed they stick with their man. So hard for women who don't share this thought process to understand how they can choose any man over their children, but they do. Any social services worker or family court lawyer will tell you they have witnessed this many times in their career.

MrsOE · 06/02/2017 23:54

So infuriating that someone can be so desperate for a males attention that they will put them above their child!

I began watching with an open mind but it soon became apparent that she was a psychotic liar. Who would be able to speak so calmly about that happening to their child? Who takes 45 minutes to make a bottle and why would the door be shut? Who caused the injuries if both of them were innocent?

Pair of cowards, hope they rot in prison.

AshesandDust · 06/02/2017 23:55

I think she's very manipulative, during the interviews she was quick to steer the conversation away when it got uncomfortable or close to her and her boyfriends parts in the baby's injuries - she did this several times.

Then there was her outburst in the court - she didn't show that side of her character in the any of the rest of the programme. I think her and the boyfriend were as bad as each other when it came to their abusive behaviour and that's why she would drop the boyfriend in it to the police. She didn't want the boyfriend to turn on her and tell the truth about her involvement in the treatment meted out to that poor baby.

AshesandDust · 06/02/2017 23:56

*wouldn't drop her boyfriend in it..

Juicyfrooty · 07/02/2017 00:00

Was this case reported in the news? I can't find anything about it

Mummamayhem · 07/02/2017 00:09

Also remember there would have first have been the family law case regarding the care of the two children. A possible stance to take would be to deny any knowledge or wrong doing - as she said she didn't see how it could be proved. To acknowledge her partners guilt and to then fall pregnant by him would make it crystal clear that she was prioritising their relationship and then would stand no chance of resuming the care of one if not both of her children...

Other thing to point out is she herself repeatedly said she felt detached, a coping strategy for trauma in itself. Also she 'may' have had limited attachment with her children. The 1st was only 7 weeks at the time of removal admist a volatile relationship ship and the 2nd was removed from the hospital admist the court cases/1st baby removed from her care/ arrest of partner. She may seem to have little concern for the children because she had a limited bond with them - especially as it was clear she was prioritising her relationship above all else.

Very sad. I felt pleased at the verdict but she has been truly punished. She didn't after all inflict the injuries.

MrsLupo · 07/02/2017 00:30

Great posts, Meadow and Mumma, too much B&W thinking on this thread.

I watched the programme having read a rave review in the paper about what a groundbreaking new TV format concept it was. Can't say it really lived up to that billing - just a documentary with a suspense element imo - but I did find it interesting to see a legal team at work in a case where various factors that should be irrelevant conspired to make the defendent unattractive to a jury. I had a strong sense that the defence counsel had a lot of time for her, as did I.

She was obviously very damaged herself, imo. A guilty verdict was obviously the right outcome, but I would like to have seen a suspended sentence. Not sure what good can come of a custodial sentence really, but then I'm a trendy lefty who thinks prison does most people more harm than good after about the first three days. Sad

GardenGeek · 07/02/2017 00:39

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FabulouslyGlamourousFerret · 07/02/2017 07:06

I only saw the last hour so missed what exactly happened, I got the gist though.

I have no idea what I thought if I'm honest, I'll go with the verdict though as they had all the evidence.

I typed Kenzeys name into Facebook (to see if my friends had Ben posting about the programme) and it made it all very real, there's posts by her to epilepsy sites asking for advice on her daughters (post crime) epilepsy and alternative therapy groups, it's a horrible case and sadly not a one off.

Clutterbugsmum · 07/02/2017 07:59

I do wonder what the SS report said about her, the program was very clear about Kyle not being a risk (mention twice at least) but they never said what the SS said about her.

HalfShellHero · 07/02/2017 08:08

can't imagine how she'll cope in prison. she's such a delicate thing and a bit vacant.

sassymuffin · 07/02/2017 08:28

I think her legal team knew they had an uphill battle, when her barrister was trying to get Kenzey to answer what she would do if Kyle admitted his guilt she just wouldn't entertain the scenario.

Her solicitor specifically asked if there was any physical abuse in the relationship with Kyle and she admitted there was verbal abuse but said he had never hit her. The text messages clearly contradicted this and she had messaged Kyle about being 'battered and bruised'.

When Kyle had admitted to being a danger to the baby in a message I think Kenzey's fate was sealed.

She seemed very much in deep denial, her volatility repeatedly surfaced at points when she heard the prosecutions case against her or when decisions made by social services and the family court were discussed. She never once seemed angry about the tragic injury's her daughter sustained.

I find it really difficult to see how Kenzeys mum remained so indifferent when she must of known about the retracted facebook confession that Kyle had made. Her comments about cot death seemed bizarre and her detachment was very similar to her daughters.

Kenzey seemed immature but her vocabulary displayed an intelligence and maturity which seemed at odds with her behaviour.

Overall I think it was the right verdict and I hope Kenzey gets help and clarity while serving her sentence.