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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Murder of Lucy McHugh. Safeguarding of vulnerable young women.

58 replies

placemats · 19/07/2019 13:13

This is a shocking case. And I'm linking the Guardian deliberately here because of the picture of Lucy which, astonishingly was issued by the police.

Why was this seriously disturbed man allowed to be released?

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/19/murderer-of-lucy-mchugh-13-jailed-for-minimum-of-33-years

OP posts:
Original poster
placemats · 19/07/2019 17:53

Lodgers, all male, who kill families or members of families:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-46443110

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/oct/03/homeless-man-admits-of-stourbridge-woman-who-helped-him

OP posts:
Original poster
placemats · 19/07/2019 17:55

Social Services should have protected Lucy. They failed miserably. And I hope that this failure goes all the way to the top, though unfortunately I think that will not happen.

OP posts:
InTheHeatofLisbon · 19/07/2019 17:57

Lass and I disagree on just about everything, but on this she's spot on.

The mother was the one with the most responsibility, I'm aware that social services and other agencies did too, but this absolution of parents who fail to do even the most basic of parenting in the media and online really angers me.

Lucy had, at best, a dysfunctional family set up. Her mother denied issues to anyone who came to check on the child.

She was a baby, a little girl who nobody fucking protected, who was raped, repeatedly.

And her mother did nothing.

bigkidsdidit · 19/07/2019 18:02

Her mother didn’t do nothing - she did worse than nothing ☹️

I’m staggered that social workers could go into a house where a young girl has alleged rape, see a man fresh out prison, a mother who clearly was not up to the job, and conclude everything wS ok.

Poor Lucy, who did speak up and bravely told her mum and others, and no one believed her

InTheHeatofLisbon · 19/07/2019 18:05

bigkidsdidit

Fair point, she did do worse than nothing.

I'm not absolving SS of their responsibility either, I just hate that they always seem to be the focus of all the anger yet it's not often the parents are queried as harshly.

YourSarcasmIsDripping · 19/07/2019 18:20

She was failed by her parents.
She was failed by SS.
She was failed by a system that releases and doesn't check on dangerous criminals.
How the hell was he allowed to be a carer and live with children?
She was murdered and raped by a man who was able to do so because of the failures of others. The blame ultimately lies with him though.

Butterymuffin · 19/07/2019 18:29

Poor Lucy. No one looking out for her. Surrounded by selfish and evil adults. And the reporting at times has been hideous.

Original poster
placemats · 19/07/2019 18:38

I'm not absolving SS of their responsibility either, I just hate that they always seem to be the focus of all the anger yet it's not often the parents are queried as harshly.

The teacher's were aware of the dangers facing Lucy, so it must have been bad, and reported it to social services, who did precisely NOTHING!

Not in any way excusing the mother in this btw. As for Lucy's dad? No words for either.

OP posts:
Original poster
placemats · 19/07/2019 18:40

How the hell was he allowed to be a carer and live with children?

I can't understand this. However, I've worked with vulnerable young children and adults and some of the workers are questionable and not all of them are male either.

OP posts:
Original poster
placemats · 19/07/2019 18:42

Some of the parents of these children/young adults are incredibly wealthy as well.

OP posts:
Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 19/07/2019 18:54

Review under way. I predict that when it's published, Lessons Will Be Learned. Just like all the others.

RIP Lucy.

Original poster
placemats · 19/07/2019 19:07

RIP all children who have been let down with regard to safeguarding.

How many reviews does this country need?

OP posts:
Ukroadtrip · 20/07/2019 09:32

I hope to God that there are investigations into his role as ‘Carer’. Who the fuck were the vulnerable people he was caring for? How are they? I hope they’re looking into the plight of every person he came into contact with. I hope his managers, co-workers, supervisors are being checked too. I hope the recruitment process is being reviewed that allowed him to be employed. He held people hostage twice, he raped a 14 year old in exchange for a ‘free’ tattoo and then got a job as a carer. The fact that he was a tattooist makes me feel sick too. How are they checked out before they’re allowed to take sadistic pleasure in sticking needles into skin and drawing blood. And then he raped and murdered Lucy. I despair.

LassOfFyvie · 20/07/2019 09:47

Social Services should have protected Lucy. They failed miserably

Lucy's parents should have protected Lucy. They failed miserably. Her mother facilitated the abuse by taking the murderer in to Lucy's home.

The teacher's were aware of the dangers facing Lucy, so it must have been bad, and reported it to social services, who did precisely NOTHING!

They did make contact but were fobbed off by Lucy's mother and boyfriend.

YourSarcasmIsDripping · 20/07/2019 09:59

How many reviews does this country need?

There will be a lot more unless the government actually starts giving a shit and funding services properly.Education,SS,mental health services etc. and even prisons so that violent and dangerous criminals aren't released time and time again with no rehabilitation or checks in place.

MockerstheFeManist · 20/07/2019 10:04

The difficult question that needs to be asked:

To what extent is this vast, bureaucratic and very expensive system of checks, referrals and reports there to protect vulnerable groups, and to what extent is it there to cover the arses of service supplers?

'We ticked all the boxes so it can't be our fault.'

QuentinWinters · 20/07/2019 10:17

Sadly it was not uncommon for mothers to disbelieve their children when they disclose abuse from the mother’s partner. There’s a whole generation of women putting their own needs before those of their children.
Or a whole generation of people who buy into the idea that women lie about rape and men are more trustworthy

Tableclothing · 20/07/2019 10:17

The small city where I work (not Lucy's home town, but just for example) currently has almost 50 (fifty) vacant posts for social workers. The majority of SW they do have are temps or agency staff, with high staff turnover. They receive around 600 new referrals a week.

Clearly, SS failed Lucy. But the reasons for the failure are, to me, at least as likely to be funding and policy decisions made at the highest levels of government - over decades - as incompetence of an individual or team of SW.

InTheHeatofLisbon · 20/07/2019 11:27

Or a whole generation of people who buy into the idea that women lie about rape and men are more trustworthy

This. This is absolutely why a cultural and societal shift in attitudes towards women and girls is desperately needed. Casual misogyny is the root of the issue, because it dehumanises women and girls. It's what stopped Lucy McHugh having a way out of the horror she was enduring.

It's why feminism is needed. And it's why we'll keep fighting until things change for the better.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 20/07/2019 11:50

It is of course right that a serious case review is taking place, but I'm uncomfortable with the usual automatic 'blame SS' response. Lucy was failed by every single adult in her life, particularly her mother who out and out lied to SS, and her father who was completely absent (his statement afterwards made me want to punch the walls out).

I'm still having trouble registering that her murderer was a carer. How the fuck did he get a DBS clearance?

RIP wee girl.

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 20/07/2019 12:10

WHY THE FUCK would you allow a stranger straight out of prison to lodge in your home with your pre-teen daughter?

Exactly

Unfortunately many dysfunctional families will work against SS and anyone they perceive as having power di the abuse carries on

We have to stop defending parents not protecting their children when they have had the choice to do so

LassOfFyvie · 20/07/2019 12:14

I'm still having trouble registering that her murderer was a carer. How the fuck did he get a DBS clearance?

That needs answered.

MeltedEggMum2 · 20/07/2019 12:56

This is absolutely why a cultural and societal shift in attitudes towards women and girls is desperately needed. Casual misogyny is the root of the issue, because it dehumanises women and girls. It's what stopped Lucy McHugh having a way out of the horror she was enduring.

It's why feminism is needed. And it's why we'll keep fighting until things change for the better.

This in spades. The entire world needs changing, because right now it is still very, very dangerous to be female, to be a child, and especially to be a female child.

TheInebriati · 20/07/2019 13:12

Or a whole generation of people who buy into the idea that women lie about rape and men are more trustworthy

No, thats not what happens, the comment that they put their own needs first is more accurate.
There are also women who collude with or enable abusers, and this girls mother appears to be one of them.

LassOfFyvie · 20/07/2019 13:19

Or a whole generation of people who buy into the idea that women lie about rape and men are more trustworthy

That isn't the issue here. Several of Lucy's teachers were very concerned about her. She was believed. One in particular was very concerned that Lucy was left in the house with 3 adult males, none of whom was biologically related to her, whilst her mother was at work. The person who shut down the possibility of help was Lucy's mother.

No, thats not what happens, the comment that they put their own needs first is more accurate . There are also women who collude with or enable abusers, and this girls mother appears to be one of them

Absolutely. I hope this women has no other children.