Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: A life cut short by cruelty

[Cirrus]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59538733
What was going to be a local review has been upgraded to a national review, hopefully something tangible, concrete will come of it and it's not just an empty initiative.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Hopefully this time nobody will be made a scapegoat for the media and politicians to take it out on as happened to the junior so coal worker Lisa Arthurworrey in the Climbie case:

https://www.basw.co.uk/system/files/resources/basw_33044-10_0.pdf

 

[stowie]

What seems utterly unfathomable is how this poor child was treated in comparison with the other children in the household.

In many cases the parents are simply unfit to be parents; often mental illness or addiction issues coupled with abusive relationships leading to utterly dysfunctional household. This isn't the case here. The adults appeared to be pretty normal parents for all but one of their children. I simply cannot understand this.

Lockdown certainly removed some of the key people who would have been in a position to spot changes in Arthur early, such as teachers or even other parents. I also hope no-one is made a scapegoat - our social services are run on a shoestring with a responsibility that many of us would not be able to manage.

 

[winjim]

What seems utterly unfathomable is how this poor child was treated in comparison with the other children in the household.

In many cases the parents are simply unfit to be parents; often mental illness or addiction issues coupled with abusive relationships leading to utterly dysfunctional household. This isn't the case here. The adults appeared to be pretty normal parents for all but one of their children. I simply cannot understand this.

Lockdown certainly removed some of the key people who would have been in a position to spot changes in Arthur early, such as teachers or even other parents. I also hope no-one is made a scapegoat - our social services are run on a shoestring with a responsibility that many of us would not be able to manage.

You don't understand it yet you're calling for the parents to be put to death because of it?

 

[Bromptonaut]

You don't understand it yet you're calling for the parents to be put to death because of it?

Were they?

 

[Bromptonaut]

In many cases the parents are simply unfit to be parents; often mental illness or addiction issues coupled with abusive relationships leading to utterly dysfunctional household. This isn't the case here. The adults appeared to be pretty normal parents for all but one of their children. I simply cannot understand this.

I'd guess Hughes had fallen for Tustin big time and she was intolerant of Arthur as the step child. Hughes relationship with the natural Mother was 'complicated' and he may have had resentments of his own. All the tributes and pictures show an angelic looking blond child. One wonders, given his natural mother's reported addictions and her relationship with both Hughes and the man she killed Arthur would have had an awful lot of needs with which any parent might struggle. It's reported that he witnessed his mother killing her other lover.

None of that excuses but it may begin to explain.

 

[winjim]

Were they?

Not exactly, I have employed a small amount of hyperbole, but pretty damn close given the context of the surrounding conversation and in light of the content of the op.

 

[BoldonLad]

I am beginning to get an uncomfortable feeling about the direction this thread is taking. IMHO the primary objective has to be to protect the child. Reasons, excuses, explanations etc of unacceptable behaviour, by the adults, may be interesting, but, the child’s safety comes first. In this case, it clearly didn’t!

 

[Cirrus]

I am beginning to get an uncomfortable feeling about the direction this thread is taking. IMHO the primary objective has to be to protect the child. Reasons, excuses, explanations etc of unacceptable behaviour, by the adults, may be interesting, but, the child’s safety comes first. In this case, it clearly didn’t!

Indeed, if they could not cope with Arthur's needs they should have asked for help or he should have been taken into care, not toturture him physically and mentally for months before murdering him.

His behaviour has nothing to do with his death, to hint that it has, strays into victim blaming.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Indeed, if they could not cope with Arthur's needs they should have asked for help or he should have been taken into care, not toturture him physically and mentally for months before murdering him.

His behaviour has nothing to do with his death, to hint that it has, strays into victim blaming.

Stowie, at least in effect, asked how the father/stepmother got into the position they did. Some reasons were suggested. Of course they should have asked for help but, at least as we understand the facts now, they did not.

The possibility that a child who's life to date was traumatic might have required a lot of caring for isn't victim blaming.

The promised inquiry will need to cover that ground.

 

[Milzy]

Failing from the over paid stuck up power tripping useless social workers again.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Failing from the over paid stuck up power tripping useless social workers again.

Evidence?

 

[Pale Rider]

Failing from the over paid stuck up power tripping useless social workers again.

Regrettably, too many people involved with social workers reach this conclusion.

 

[Hitchington]

Failing from the over paid stuck up power tripping useless social workers again.

What, all of us?
How about the thousands of children who are protected each year from harm?

As I said before working in an underfunded system with extremely high levels of burnout and staff shortages will lead to mistakes being made. Throw in a global pandemic and lockdown and it's little wonder cases like this tragically happen.

Social care has been run into the ground because of idelogical austerity and not just children's services have been affected.

 

[Pale Rider]

What, all of us?
How about the thousands of children who are protected each year from harm?

As I said before working in an underfunded system with extremely high levels of burnout and staff shortages will lead to mistakes being made. Throw in a global pandemic and lockdown and it's little wonder cases like this tragically happen.

Social care has been run into the ground because of idelogical austerity and not just children's services have been affected.

It's an argument often used by the coppers.

Blame stress, overwork, and budget cuts for doing a crap job.