The order banning the identification of Tracey Connelly and Steven Barker - two of the three people responsible for baby Peter's death - has been lifted, and with it a wealth of material has been placed into the public domain about their history and background.
The order was imposed in the first place to protect Peter's four siblings but following representations from media organisations, a family court judge concluded that it was in the public interest to name Connelly and Barker.
But was it? Haringey Council had apparently campaigned for the order to be maintained until 2026, when Peter's youngest sibling turns 18. The NSPCC has also raised concerns about the impact of lifting the order on the siblings.
Im guessing that these four other siblings are also in the care of the local authority. I think that it was in the public interest for them to be identified. The public have the right to know who they are and what they looked like. I for one would not want them around my child, and Im sure many other people feel the same as I do.
As for the children how would hiding the identity of those people protect them? How would anyone apart from their foster carers/or staff at their placement, as well as other professionals they have worked with- know who their parents are?
The perpetrators will almost certainly be given new identities (at great expense to the tax payer) when they have served their sentences. Who has gained from releasing these identities, apart fom the Newpapers owners, who will make yet more money out of this horrific case?
Such orders and redacted information are usually put in place by the guilty using an excuse to protect, never themselves, but always other ‘vulnerable’ individuals. Such tactics are used by people to abuse their position and power and they get away with it. Once and for all we must practice as we preach, it must be an open society and public must have access to all information then and then only we will be able to move forward.
I can give you examples of local authorities who have used such tactics only to protect themselves and hide their bad social work practices under the carpet. Classic tactic. Actually Local Authorities should not be in a position to obtain this as L A is public body. Honours should be given to the very people for whom these order is supposed to protect.
The public now know who these people are. they can change their identities but it wont change their faces will it? Someone will always recognise them, so as for giving them new identities i think its pretty much a no hope, unless they moved them out of the country I think someone is always going to recognise them. I do not think I will forget the face of his mother as they look exactly alike with the same blue eyes. I think that it was right to identify who they are. Why is there so much protection of them and their human rights when they violated and destroyed an innocent child? What right to they have to be 'protected' as such from people pointing them out in public? I don't think so, you do the crime you do the time, you live with the concequences. This countrys judical system protects the criminals to much. Thats why so many people reoffend.
of course they should be identifiable. too much time and money is spent proetcting murderer's. the children still alive (yes the ones they did'nt kill) remain anonymous and that is vital. as for the murderer's? tough luck tbh.
If the motive for not identifying those responsible for baby P's death was to protect his siblings, then why wasn't the same protection given to the siblings and other family members of social workers and senior staff who were identified. patsy
Its all down to media pressure and the MONEY they can make out of this tragedy. Nothing more, nothing less.
I totally agree, its a disgrace how those that were 'trying' in a society to protect a child from the harm of its parents who are given so many rights by the government. No one is aware of the process the system has to go through in order to prove whats going on and the rights the 'government' gives to parents. When such tragic cases hit the press does no one really believe that the workers who have chosen to work to protect children from harm from their 'parents' feel the weight of the loss too, yet the 'government' and 'society' allows them to take the blame. When the only peoples faces and identies that should be published are that of the perpetraters. Not those that were deceived, manipulated by the parents because they know their rights and the wrkers that are held back due to 'government' legislation. It baffles me that society blames the innocent and not those responsible. Baby P's death was a tregedy that the governemnt needs to address rather than point the blame at a system that is held back by government legislation and resources that the governemnt choses tocontinually ignore. Of course the criminals faces should be exposed, why does the 'governement' allow the protection of the CRIMINAL and not those that were desperately trying to protect, the system is a disgrace! The only criminals are the parents that inflicted such cruelty on their child. There is not enough punishment for parents, they are given too many rights, they took every right of their son and expected the system to potect them, they got their right, (to be protected) what about what the childs right to be protected...they took that right and of course expected their human rights to protect them, yet they didnt allow that for an innocent child that 'they' were responsible to protect.
I don't have a problem with their identities being revealed; I struggle to fond any justification for protecting people who abuse their children to this extent. However, I do have concerns about how they can be tracked after release. I'm sure they will be offered protection (that they so painfully denied to Peter ) through new identities and whilst I object to contributing to the costs through my taxes, I'm more worried about how they can slip through the net of child protection agencies with all the potential horror that may ensue for other children unfortunate enough to be in their care. One thing I'm confident about however, is that if these people do abuse other children it's bound to be the fault of social workers!
Whilst I respect your opinion, I cant help but ask why you feel its the fault of Social Workers? They werent the ones systematically abusing the child, manipulating people, lying, pretending to care,they were 'abusing THEIR child', not the Social Worker, If I wanted to hurt my child 'I' would do it, no one would stop me, and if I chose to be a caring person I would be throughut the Social Workers visit.. We all have masks, we all have the ability to be who we want to be.Social Workers arent mind readers or have xray eyes, they are as human as everyboody else. Its like suggesting because we have a police service their shouldnt be any crime, or fire fighters should have the ability to save 'all' lives, its humanly impossible.
I dont think people are aware of the legislation Social Workers are goverened by and the 'rights' of the parents regardless of their horrendous crimes against their children, its far more complex than people are led to believe. No one would choose ar career in Social Work if their main aim wasnt to protect. Social Workers have to justify 'everything', they are policing families with such hostility, no one likes to admit their wrong doings. So as the parent of the child why didnt she admit to the systematic abuse her son was being subjected too instead of hiding it? Surely it was her responsibility to ask for support when being offered it rather than masking the abuse.
I believe we are living in a nanny state, whereby no one takes responsibility for what they do anymore. Social Workers need more resources, the Government needs to re educate society so that they feel safe approaching Social Services, their role is far more diverse than people think. Legislation needs to be updated, more realistic to the world we live in! I respect Social Workers and have every faith in what they are doing and offering society. If my neighbour left their front door open and I burgled their house, whose the one responsible for that, the reality is regardless if the door was open I should respect their right to do that, not take advantage for my own selfishness. Yet the law would probably let me off!!! Its a crazy world we live in. Social Workers have a really tough job, respect to you all!!
My comment about it being the fault of social workers was intended to be a sarcastic dig at the media, who always blame social workers when it is the parents who abuse and kill these children. My point was that if these abusers are released with new identities how are we to track them and how will professional agencies be able to be alerted if they turn up in their areas. At present we check our departmental records, health records etc but if they have new names and identities how are we to know that they pose a risk to children (the old Scedule 1 Offenders)?
I totally agree that there is an overwhelming need for the public to be better informed about the legal and procedural constraints within which social workers operate. As a profession we're not very good at standing up for ourselves! I believe the government should raise public awareness of these constraints and take some responsibility- after all it is government who make the laws and set down many of our procedures. The other people who are in a position to inform the public - or rather stop misinforming them are the media. Sadly however, their interest is in dramatic headlines, feeding into the blame culture and of course making money. Taking any degree of resposibility for protecting children doesn't seem to feature in their priorities but they are doing children a huge diservice by demonising social workers when they have only the weakest of grasps on understanding the complexities and constraints involved in the work.
My apologies for misunderstanding your comment!!! I have to agree that Social Workers are not very good at standing up for themselves, however I do believe its a very cultural thing that you will be squesezed out if you speek to loud. They just have to get on with it regardless of the regime they may be forced to work under.
My apologies aagin and thank yu for your response!
Now people know who they are, they will have to be protected and identities changed when they leave prison. What an utter waste of tax payers money that will be and unfortunately it will not bring baby Peter back or stop Connelly having more children in the future. Its a damn shame they couldnt put the money to better use and have her sterilized so she cant have any more kiddies. I really feel sorry for her other children.
I have no idea of the age of Tracy Connelly's oldest children but I presume they are old enough to recognise the picture of their mother on all the papers, as well as all the horrific details of their lives. I for one wonder what damage that will cause to them, as well as humiliation and embarrasment as their friends and other kids they mix with must know. They will live with that for ever. I think anonymity should have been preserved, people like these adults probably are delighted to have their five minutes of fame. Seeing their pictures helps noone.
Obviously nothing has been learnt from the tragic death of Victoria Climbie and half of the procedures that were recommended from Victoria's cruel death have not been put into place and sadly another child has lost their life, cruelly. Blaming social workers is making it easy for baby peter's so called mother and her boyfriend, social workers are over stretched and at times trying to do an impossible job. The blame should be soley on the mother and boyfriend who were trying to cover their evilness, and the boyfriend's brother, and should serve life. WHY are they being allowed to go free and as for new identies, what an insult to baby peter!!!!!! As some one said, you do the crime you do the time you live with the consequences, and in their case it should be for LIFE.
my thoughts are always with the victims of crime. not the perpetratorrs.