London toddler 'used as punching bag' before death

A BRITISH handyman has been found guilty over the death of a baby boy who died after he was subjected to a series of horrifying assaults.

Jurors at the Old Bailey in London reached their verdict overnight after a two month trial at which they saw evidence of the 17-month-old being "used as a punchbag" before he died in August last year.

The unemployed 32-year-old man, who was going out with the toddler's mother when the abuses occurred, was cleared of murder but convicted of causing or allowing the child's death.

The toddler, who is named only as baby P for legal reasons, was found in a blood-spattered cot with eight fractured ribs and a broken back - injuries missed by a doctor who examined him just 48 hours earlier.

He also had a large number of bruises, cuts on his head and ears and the tops of his fingers were missing, along with a toenail.

Last month, the toddler's 27-year-old mother was also found guilty of causing or allowing his death.

Overnight, house guest Jason Owen, 36, was also convicted of the same charge.

All three adults were cleared of murder because the jury could not agree on which of them had caused the injuries.

They will be sentenced on December 15.

One of the detectives involved in the case said the little boy had more than 50 injuries - 15 of them around his mouth.

Describing the 32-year-old boyfriend, the detective said he was "sadistic" and "fascinated with pain" and that Nazi memorabilia had been found in the house.

He described the toddler's mother as "a slob, completely divorced from reality. She was living in a dream world and put her lover before her child. She closed her eyes to what was going on".

The horrific catalogue of abuses took place over an eight-month period despite the fact the toddler was on the child protection register of Haringey social services.

Although he was seen by social workers on average twice a week, none of the health and social workers picked up on what was happening, the court was told.

Speaking at the conclusion of the trial, Detective Superintendent Caroline Bates of the Child Abuse Investigation Command, said: "There is no doubt that this child's death was a tragedy and that he suffered terribly at the hands of his carers during the last months of his short life.

"The child's mother consistently lied in an attempt to conceal the ill-treatment of him ... She repeatedly chose to mislead professionals in order to enable the continued abuse of her son," she said.

"Along with the mother, the men involved have failed to accept responsibility for their actions and the cruelty they inflicted on this little child but today they, along with the boy's mother, are being held to account for their actions and for the unnecessary pain and suffering they caused which led to his death."

The case bears a chilling similarity to the tragic death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie who died in February 2000 after dozens of social workers and health professionals failed to spot that she was being systematically abused by her guardians.

"This case is worse than Climbie. The signs were there but were not followed," said Mor Dioum, head of the Victoria Climbie Foundation.

He blamed the toddler's death on "systematic and operational failures" and has called for a public inquiry into the failings.

From correspondents in London

Agence France-Presse

November 12, 2008

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24640478-401,00.html

Comments (0)