Former teacher guilty of sexually abusing and murdering baby boy he wanted to adopt - CPS

[IwantToRetire]

Distressing content
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A former teacher has been found guilty of sexually abusing and murdering a baby boy that he planned to adopt.

Jamie Varley, 37, was convicted at Preston Crown Court of murder, child cruelty, sexual offences and indecent images relating to 13-month-old Preston Davey.

John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was convicted of allowing the death of a child, child cruelty and sexual assault.

Varley was in the process of adopting baby Preston (also known as Elijah) with his partner McGowan-Fazakerley. Just four months after being placed with the couple, Preston was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital unconscious and in cardiac arrest. Sadly, Preston could not be saved.

Varley tried falsely claiming that Preston had accidentally drowned in a bath, but prosecutors were able to prove that his injuries were consistent with his airways being obstructed.

The evidence presented by the prosecution proved that in the final months of Preston’s life, he was routinely ill-treated, sexually abused and physically assaulted – suffering more than 40 separate injuries.

CPS statement continues at https://www.cps.gov.uk/north-west/news/former-teacher-guilty-sexually-abusing-and-murdering-baby-boy-he-wanted-adopt

More from a BBC report - also distressing:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyp77l79e9o

I thought there was a thread about this, but cant find one. But sorry if a duplicate.

I really only wanted to post out of respect for this poor baby and the horror of his short life.

RIP

Thank you.

Adoption Now would have had no role in determining whether Preston was placed for adoption or not. Nor in deciding the right placement for him.

Their role as an agency is solely about recruitment and assessment of potential adopters for approval generally as adopters.

And whatever the failings after the placement I’ve seen no evidence that they missed any checks or missed any red flags during that process.

I ignored it because I don't see the relevance to this case where there is exactly NO evidence that nobody else wanted him - and indeed we know that his grandmother did want him but - apparently - just needed a few more months before she would be well enough to carry a toddler, and that the foster mother was happy to keep him for those extra weeks or months.

Even if there was nobody else who wanted Preston - which I don't actually believe - there is still a massive problem with having placed him with that particular couple. Nobody could possibly argue that a bad adoption placement is better for the child than a good foster home, which is where he was. The foster home would have been fine for him, except that they probably wanted to free it up so as to put more children with the foster mum.

I don't think saying all that is engaging in a witch hunt against adoptive parents. I have agreed elsewhere that adopters are given very little help, and I agree that's unacceptable. But this is about sexual abuse that began within DAYS of his arrival. It wasn't about depressed adoptive parents not coping. That was always their intention - and the only link with your point about lack of help being available for adoptive parents who can't cope is only connected in that it's about a system where those operating it see their work as box-ticking, and children who are placed are counted as "files successfully closed".

Sorry you think parents being in a bath with their very young children is inappropriate or some sort of red flag?

Social workers are going to have millions of parents to investigate in that case!

It would also be extremely helpful if people attempting to make this all about adopters' feelings instead of Preston Davey, rather than the useful info on processes that ARE relevant to this horrendous case and that have been appreciated, could themselves be better informed about longstanding research and child protection, basic safeguarding, male violence and child sexual assault, but here we are.

.

New Family Social are currently promoting info sessions on such topics as 'consenting non monogamy' and swinging - to agency staff across the UK. They don't advertise these sessions to the general public. Their podcast features one episode where a gay adoptive dad talks about his open relationship and bringing men home when his child is at school.

I cannot understand why any agency, taking safeguarding seriously, would have anything to do with them.

Their role as an agency is solely about recruitment and assessment of potential adopters for approval generally as adopters.

If it's the case that they followed the "correct" procedures, then maybe there's something massively wrong with those procedures, when couples who are apparently planning on sexually abusing a child can get approval?

And if there's really nothing that can be fixed in the procedures, then I think someone needs to start looking a lot more closely at all the children who have already been placed for adoption for signs of sexual abuse. And maybe we might find if we did that, that certain adoption agencies are better at placing children safely than others.

Most adults who understand child protection especially when a child has been placed newly with adult males would know that this would be viewed as extremely inappropriate. I can't believe I even have to spell this out to another supposed adult.

A naked adult man in a bath with an unrelated child who has literally just been placed with him. No. Absolutely not.

Good grief. WAY more education is needed on absolute fundamentals, this is fucking ridiculous.

I definitely think that red flags were missed once Preston was placed.

However, it shouldn't be assumed that red flags were also definitely missed before. Abusers can be very good actors, as I said above.

I would also be concerned about JV's nieces and nephews, given he supposedly babysat them so much.

Send me the evidence and I will be happy to eat my hat. Also, to be honest, as a singleton for the entirety of my adoption journey, I personally don’t understand why consenting non-monogamy would be an issue. I’m assuming they’re not shagging in front of the children. There’s lots of non-consenting non-monogamy in regular families here, judging by what I read in AIBU.

So birth families can do this but just not adoptive families?

I didn't say there were any missed beforehand - I agree that deliberate deception is hard to detect. But I am saying that if nothing showed up, then the selection procedures themselves need to be urgently reviewed - and if nobody can work out how to detect men looking to adopt a baby in order to abuse it, then we need to assume that other children are in the same situation, and find out which ones. I would say that's urgent.

And also, hopefully, doing that - and not missing the rather easier red flags once the child is actively being abused - should also make it possible to compare different agencies' records, which might help identify whether it really is impossible to protect children better before placing them, or not.

Yes, depressingly familiar. I have read this on other threads. Posters seriously suggesting that adoptive children should have their genitals scrutinised for signs of potential sexual abuse. Because obviously this is not inherently abusive to the children. I’m happy to take my kids to the GP to have their genitals investigated if you’ll take yours. After all, lots of women kill their children.

That's a strange approach: is the selection process also unfair, given that it's not used with birth families?

If your job is giving children to other people to raise, that means taking some extra responsibility for its safety that you don't have for all the children you see in the street.

You're just making stuff up now. I've never said anything of the sort.

Yes, and we do. But bathing alongside a baby is not a weird thing to do.

It is not advised,no. (Actually in most birth families adult males don't have baths with their babies or young children and it may well be considered a red flag in some circumstances. I don't know many dads who do, mums yes, more).

But once again, this is NOT about the supposed plight of adopters v birth parents and your personal gripes about there even being a system that may differentiate you. The STATE is placing a baby in a stranger's care. The STATE has responsibility here. Preston Davey's horrific murder is not about you.

From the perspective of Preston's welfare and safeguarding It was a MASSIVE red flag yes. And turned out to be highly indicative of JV's sexual interest in him.

Preston is at the centre here. Not JV. Not your or any other adopter's feelings that are entirely unrelated to this case.

Yes, you did. Please go back and read your posts.

Have you missed all the research on this thread about the risk factors about non related males in the home? Perhaps you'd like to go back and read it and then have a think about what open relationships might look like.

And no, I'm not giving you the evidence as it will compromise me. Although why you'd imagine I would make up such a weird and troubling thing is troubling in itself

Taking pictures of your own child naked isn't either, and yet that's considered CSAM. It all depends on the context. And men in a bath with children? I don't know a single man in my extended family who does that. Mothers, often. But this is about male adopters.

Your arguments are overly personalised and not terribly logical. On one hand, PP are - quite reasonably - complaining that adoptive families are left to manage once a child is in the family, which is what also happens to birth families, and yet OTOH you are complaining that there should be any suggestion at all, once a child is placed in a family, that bonding might not be quite as straightforward as with a birth family?

Clearly. All very tedious.

Anyway. It would've been Preston's 4th birthday yesterday. RIP little man. I'm sorry so many adults let you down so terribly.

Where on earth did I say children's genitals would need to be inspected for signs of sexual abuse? That's a lie.

Afaik taking a bath with your baby or toddler, male or female, is pretty normal in most families. Am I wrong for thinking that?

You are welcome to be troubled by me. I am a singleton female adopter and no male has crossed my threshold in 20 years. Well, apart from the plumber, or the gas man. My female children have never been exposed to any relationship of mine. No, I never miss any research in as much as it relates to adoption. Nor do I miss sarkiness and patronising behaviours in people who simply don’t like being challenged. I’ve emailed the New Social lot so I will happily post their response here.