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Tuesday August 18, 2009

Sins of the Mothers


There’s been an uncomfortable reaction in the UK to the release of identity of the three abusers in the now infamous Baby P child murder case. Looking into the faces of these three brutal, twisted and sadistic individuals, it is hard to imagine that they could be capable of such unimaginable evil. Granted, with their low brows, blank expressions and sullen mouths, they don’t inspire confidence but could these three young people really have inflicted such cruelty on a tiny, innocent child utterly devoid of defence?

It is a misapprehension to assume that all mothers have maternal instinct. I learnt that years ago when in a random conversation with an ambitious careerist mother of three, I asserted that any parent would surely give up their own life for that of their child. She eyed me curiously and then with total honesty said that she knew she wouldn’t be prepared to make such a sacrifice. I was appalled at the time. It was inconceivable to me that a parent wouldn’t always put their child first, to be willing to die to protect it from harm. By contrast in the Baby P case, we have a mother devoid of all mothering instinct, willingly torturing her child and allowing a monstrous partner and his sick brother to do likewise. In the brief, fragile framework of little Peter’s 17 months of life, he never experienced anything but fear, abuse and pain. Social workers buzzed round his mother’s council house like cocaine fuelled bees but not one of them seemed capable of noting the extent of the little boy’s injuries or sufferings. Only on his death when his little spine was snapped in two like a discarded candy stick, did social services at Haringey Council express shock and incredulity. Why hadn’t they ever spotted signs of the hellish scenes taking place under this filthy and unhygienic roof? How could such obvious abuse fail to have been noted by the numerous Haringey officials visiting the squalid premises?

As the senior childcare worker blamed for failings in the case endeavours to seek huge compensation for her dismissal, the three culprits have been sent to prison. Meanwhile the authorities are already mumbling about the need to change the identities of the murderers-to the tune of one million pounds- when they are released. Much as I disapprove of self governed vigilante behaviour, I cannot believe that protecting the identity of these despicable creatures is in the interests of society. The money used to assist them on release should surely be spent on protecting innocent children vulnerable to such monsters? If Tracey Connolly, her partner, Steven Barker, and his brother Jason Owen are released one day and find themselves the target of abuse and attacks, then so be it. They chose to take an innocent life for their own twisted pleasure and should accept the consequences.

Devoid of conscience and any moral instinct they may be, but a palpable and cold fear of reprisals will dog this trio’s steps forever more, and that, my friends, may be the next best thing we get to seeing justice served.



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