So another child dies through neglect!

[puddicat]

A 7year old child has died through starvation,and her siblings have been taken to hospital with the same symptoms, neighbours say that they had seen some of the children and they had been extremely thin, why oh why didnt they report this!!!!!

[cheries]

Do we think it's a lack of understanding about how to raise children properly, or do we think it's an intentional act? I'm intrigued by your choice of words Boo when you say "deliberately".
I'd sort of comforted myself with the notion that these people had done this out of ignorance...the idea that it was done deliberately makes my blood run cold.

[LoftyLottie]

I can almost understand one person being cruel to children (perhaps mental illness), but can never understand how two or more people can be responsible. It's totally beyond me.

[redcrx]

that is just disgusting, i feel physically sick at the thought that anyone could do that to a child, let alone the childs own parents.

I agree with B00 that there is a huge difference between a skinny child and a starved child but surely someone mustve seen these children to know it wasnt right.

I hope that those that survived have been rescued before its too late for them.

[LoftyLottie]

Surely it must be intentional unless these people both had very severe mental problems. I suppose that can happen.

[B00]

I say deliberate cheries as no matter how dim or stupid the parents may claim to be, no one can say they aren't aware that you have to feed children in order to stop them starving to death can they?

[Rtaxron]

Sometimes reporting negligence falls on deaf ears.

I reported my next door neighbor, who used to look after her daughters child 5 days a week who was about 6yrs.

All I heard everyday was her effing and blinding at the poor kid and him crying/screaming, '' I hate you Nan, I want to go home ''.

When I reported it, (several times) they told me they couldn't do anything unless they made contact with the mother first.

By accident I bumped into the father and I told him, and he said he had just found out from the child..
The parents have now stopped leaving the kid there and stopped visiting the Grandmother all together..

[figure]

I always wonder why are women/people like that are able to bear children. There are so many decent women unable to give birth and would do almost anything to have a child of their own, and these good-for-nothings are blessed with that privilege. Life is so unfair ...

[cheries]

Hmmm, I agree with Lottie that there MUST be some mental health issue here...
In terms of reporting child abuse, I sincerely hope that ABers' experience of it falling on deaf ears does not put us all off; I would much rather think that I had run the risk of offending an innocent person than failing to report a suspicion of child abuse / neglect for fear of incorrectly accusing someone.

[cheries]

I wonder, also, about the instincts of these people. I haven't got any children but I have a horse, and my instincs (and they're very strong) to nurture him and feed him before I feed myself are un-ignorable.( Not a word, I'm sure, but the sentiment is there nontheless.)
Surely Human Nature must kick in?

[New Judge]

You asked why people did not report this to the authorities.

Have you ever tried reporting anything to the Social Services? You are told (in so many words) to mind your own business �....confidentiality� �...data protection act� �...you cannot know all the facts� etc. etc.

Like most local or national government departments, if you tell them anything they firstly will not believe you. When they finally do believe you they will not do anything. When they finally get round to doing something it will be too late.

Life�s too short and people cannot be bothered with it.

[Booldawg]

On saturday we received a letter from Social Services to say NSPCC had contacted them via an anomymous call. We've had trouble with our ex neighbours and knew it was them who made a hoax call before we even phoned up the SS. Apparently our 13 year old daughter had broken our 3 year old daughters jaw and put her in hospital!

The SS were prepared to follow up and act upon a spiteful hoax call from a disgruntled horse-faced neighbour so I'd say the system does work and calls are taken seriously.

[bensmum]

There are a lot of unanswered questions here. The 7 year old should have been at school as should at least some of her siblings I imagine. What happened to checking up on that?
I would also like to see what the parents look like. Presumably if they are not emaciated too they realise that people have to be fed to survive so this would then be willful neglect. If that is the case it is truly horrifying.
After the tragic case in Austria people were saying it couldn't happen here but we have a case where several chilren were starving to the point of death but no-one noticed.

[B00]

It said on the news that all the children were pulled out of school 5 weeks ago, their mother claimed they were being bullied.

Yes by her!!

It also showed a home video, showing the mother and several of the children eating a meal in a kitchen (party perhaps?) so it obviously wasn't always ongoing. Does make you wonder what happened to make the mother do this these past few weeks??

[ruby27]

Whilst the link provided may not be wholly accurate, what the neighbours have said indicates that until quite recently Dec 07, the children were seen regularly playing out and appeared well. There would on the surface seem to be a complete change in the way that these children went from being cared for to being abused - I can only imagine the mother underwent some sort of dreadful transformation.

Obviously children this age can not last long if being starved. Realistically, who if they didn't see their neighbours children for a couple of months, or a child didn't come into school for a couple of weeks, would be imagining that the absence was due to such horrific and tragic
circumstances. I know I wouldn't but then I am not all seeing and all knowing like some people.

[B00]

Gotta agree with Ruby- my next door neighbour has young children same as me, but weeks go by without us seeing either of each others kids- we dont assume the wrost do we?

[natalie_1982]

Part of me finds it incredible that incidents like these still occur in this day and age, but most of me will never be surprised at the evil committed by some people, particularly against their own children. I just hope that the little girl died with the love of her brothers and sisters and that she wasn't lonely and that they at least can now be taken proper care of.

[LoftyLottie]

It is still very difficult to understand how both the mother and step father treated the kids this way, although you do hear of horrible tales where mothers have let new partners abuse their children, etc. I personally can never remotely understand how this can happen.

I suppose we shouldn't jump to any conclusions. We none of us know the facts.

[leyenda]

My opinion is this.People dont care enough about n other folks kids .
Weve now progressed to save the whale save the seal stop battery chickens laying eggs and dont buy chickens unless free rangwe hand fed etc etc.People are more bothered abut animals than other folks kids.

THATS 100%M FACT..Thats my point i will now go.Btw its perfectly true , goody goody folk care nothing for common scummy kids until after something goes wrong.They cross the street to avoid them.


THATS THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.
HUMAN LIVE SMEAN LESS THAN THEY EVER DID.


ALL THIS IS TRUE .


GOODNIGHT.

[ruby27]

Just got to say

New Judge, sorry but I don't believe you ( I must be turning into a government dept), I can not credit that all referrals made to social services are met with disbelief. I mean even if that wasn't a ridiculous claim that all departments always ignore what is referred, if they didn't beleive anyone they wouldn't have any work to do, no work would then mean no job surely. I don't think you should be paranoid but, I think it must just be you all these government depts blank.

B00 - are you sure? lol. I am sure some people will claim after the event, what they would have done if they were the neigbour/teacher - all demonstrating there superiority.

[LoftyLottie]

Legend, for goodness sake you are now being totally ridiculous. You just can't help digging at people can you. Why are you such an attention seeker and why do you have to use multiple names?