Totally depressing

[Jacko51]

What a totally depressing case this has been.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35989955

[For Us All]

Terrible case.

It is always very difficult to comprehend when child killers are involved.

[beasty77]

And they could be out before they're 30.

[mr.hobblesworth]

I think the time of the girls' possible release is the thing of least concern in this whole sad affair.

[Jacko51]

I think the time of the girls' possible release is the thing of least concern in this whole sad affair.

 

Agreed. Apparently on the morning of the murder, the elder girl went to see her biological mother (the girl was in care) and was given a bottle of cider and a load of pills and told to go and kill herself.

[bookworm]

Agreed. Apparently on the morning of the murder, the elder girl went to see her biological mother (the girl was in care) and was given a bottle of cider and a load of pills and told to go and kill herself.

 

What dysfunctional families and wasn't it true that the elder girl had no one in court to give her support.

[bookworm]

and little news about the little girl who was allegedly stamped on and murdered by her separated druggie parents ,the jury was out as well today in tamworth I think.

[bookworm]

I think the time of the girls' possible release is the thing of least concern in this whole sad affair.

 

social workers have a lot of questions to answer

[mr.hobblesworth]

Agreed. Apparently on the morning of the murder, the elder girl went to see her biological mother (the girl was in care) and was given a bottle of cider and a load of pills and told to go and kill herself.

 

The heartbreaking cycle just goes on and on. I know social care workers who have seen 3 different generations from the same family pass through the care system.

[Bert Llewellyn]

social workers have a lot of questions to answer

 

I think there's a lot bigger issues than putting down to social workers alone, a truly terrible case.

[The French Connection]

social workers have a lot of questions to answer

 

I think it's society and parenting that have to answer the questions. Social Workers don't have magic wands.

[cheshirevaliant]

What does the phrase "society has questions to answer" mean? Not having a go at you, TFC, it just seems slightly all encompassing. You and I are part of society, but we didn't get ****** at 13 and murder someone in cold blood.

 

I suspect, sadly, there is little that could have been done to prevent this happening.

[Warren]

If we take a European perspective there are only 2 other countries that would have treated children in cases like this as committing a criminal offence. The background circumstances, well discussed in above posts, would have been taken to mean that the girls have mental health and social problems that have led to the incident which need to be addressed. I am doubtful about 'mens rea' being proved here.

 

I used to work for an organisation called the Audit Commission whose job it was to assess the performance of councils such as Stoke on Trent including education and social services. It always startled me that children in care on average achieved almost no GCSE / O level (at the time) passes. And there were other indicators of complete failure. More than that, kids who have arrived there by failed parentling are then quite often exposed to some very dodgy officers working in care homes. Also there is some sort of attitude that the kids can't be subject to undue control - i.e. no you can't stand on the street corner drinking cider at 11pm, you will be in by 8pm, you will do your homework etc. Doesn't happen.

 

I don't know what to conclude. Normally I am a lock them up person, but there are significant failures in the background which in my view would bring in to play mental health issues and I am surprised 'the system of justice' doesn't seem designed to activate these which might lead to significant sentences but in more secure hospital orientated environments for the protection of the public and best rehabilitation of the offenders.

[davidatpreston]

An awful example of what can happen in a society where less people care about what matters and crave only material and financial gain.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

I think there's a lot bigger issues than putting down to social workers alone, a truly terrible case.

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

The whole system has completely failed including the 'parents' if you can call them that, the social care system and of course the criminal justice system.

 

I've read articles from a number of different perspectives including one advocating these kids were born evil which I find hard to believe, they've simply been formed as evil and our society has sadly allowed it to escalate.

 

RIP to the victim most importantly.