Preston Davey, another baby P.

Children's photos on adoption websites! I find that alarming.

Tuliptree

I agree Sarnia - the gay issue could actually be a harmful diversion. The other diversion is the emphasis on social workers alone when it’s surely the health / social services interface that should be the focus.

I agree - this separation is a problem both in children's services and also in the care of disabled and elderly.

But, going back a stage, I do have a concern that the outsourcing of adoption services might be a problem as regards policing the actions of these private providers. Clearly they missed something rather vital here, and, without in any way suggesting single sex couples should be barred from adopting, the agency's imperative to be inclusive could in theory have skewed their thinking.

From my own professional experience I know that the outsourcing to private agencies/facilities of elderly care had a hugely detrimental effect on the quality and accountability.

There may be others here with child services experience who could comment or put me right. Something was seriously amiss in the placement process in this case. I appreciate that no-one has a crystal ball, but it is hard not to wonder how the poor child was placed with this couple.

Preston was placed by an agency called Adoption Now. Having looked at their website there are lots of appealing little children being advertised on there. Only too easy for the perverts and unscrupulous to be drawn to it. I wonder about the sense of having these vulnerable little children’s photos on the internet. Or are they posed by models? I don’t like it. It’s wrong.

Photographs of all these tortured and murdered children haunt me.
And always will.

Recently ,I reported a woman in McDonald's for abusing her children -it was captured on CCTV .
The staff told me that it happens all too frequently and makes them feel upset and depressed .

It's not the first time that I've witnessed and reported abuse .
One mother threatened to throw her small son off the train .
Another abandoned her toddler in her pushchair on a packed train .

I hope that there's a place in heaven for these children and that their torturers have long and very rough sentences.

MissAdventure

Prisons have a duty of care to protect people, so I'm doubtful of that.
I can but live in hope.

It is a duty in which they frequently fail.

I agree Sarnia - the gay issue could actually be a harmful diversion. The other diversion is the emphasis on social workers alone when it’s surely the health / social services interface that should be the focus.

Prisons have a duty of care to protect people, so I'm doubtful of that.
I can but live in hope.

Tuliptree

Getting back to this case, there is no reason ( as yet) to believe that SS ignored evidence that the two men should not have been allowed to adopt. One was a teacher. Maybe there were some red flags that were ignored but we haven’t been given info on that. Obviously the focus is on what happened in the 4 months Preston was with them and the chain of events involving several hospital visits. But to think it’s as simple as because they were gay is simply not enough and in fact does all children in need a disservice.

I think we need to put the fact that they are gay to one side. The bare bones of this case is the sheer brutality on Preston. My concern is that several hospital visits with 40 trauma related injuries did not alert anyone to the plight this poor child was in. As a medical professional or just an average human being, would a human bite mark on a baby's buttock not ring deafening alarm bells? Preston could not have inflicted that on himself, so who did? Start investigating. Too often the can is kicked further down the road, the buck passed to someone else. What saddens me most is that there are other Preston's out there. Will anyone help them?

Whatever sentence the court hands down I'm sure it will be (unnofficially) supplemented by The New Prisoners Welcome Committee.

God help these two men.

I've no doubts at all that issues will come to light as the case is investigated more.
They always do, but lessons will be learned, as per usual.

Getting back to this case, there is no reason ( as yet) to believe that SS ignored evidence that the two men should not have been allowed to adopt. One was a teacher. Maybe there were some red flags that were ignored but we haven’t been given info on that. Obviously the focus is on what happened in the 4 months Preston was with them and the chain of events involving several hospital visits. But to think it’s as simple as because they were gay is simply not enough and in fact does all children in need a disservice.

The police have released videos of Preston with these two. The contrast in his eyes and demeanor living with them and the happy smiley baby he was before is unmistakable. Why did nobody see it when I can see it from watching a very short video online in the Daily Mail?

They were very clever at creating an illusion I think. Lots of expensive toys but no love and care for this poor little baby.

It’s sickening.

I wonder how thorough the vetting procedure was From what was reported they didn't seem to have much idea of what prospective parenthood would entail

Was this an adoption case?

Tuliptree

Primrose53

I was reading that the foster mother had a gut feeling that something was not right. She should have been listened to.
Her heart must be absolutely broken knowing what happened to Preston as she and her husband cared for him for months.

Social Services fall over themselves to be politically correct in deciding who can adopt children in care but I still believe that the child’s needs come before any of that PC rubbish which is all too prevalent nowadays.

There is no evidence that social services fall over themselves to be pc when deciding who can adopt. Absolutely none.

Some of us who have had direct dealings with social work would beg to differ when it comes to 'ticking the pc box'. I almost lost my GS because of sw failings.

I don’t think it’s anything to do with being gay, or lesbian (think baby Star). These people are out & out psychopaths. They are such good liars.
They must have been, to talk the Social works round.

Primrose53

I was reading that the foster mother had a gut feeling that something was not right. She should have been listened to.
Her heart must be absolutely broken knowing what happened to Preston as she and her husband cared for him for months.

Social Services fall over themselves to be politically correct in deciding who can adopt children in care but I still believe that the child’s needs come before any of that PC rubbish which is all too prevalent nowadays.

There is no evidence that social services fall over themselves to be pc when deciding who can adopt. Absolutely none.

I was reading that the foster mother had a gut feeling that something was not right. She should have been listened to.
Her heart must be absolutely broken knowing what happened to Preston as she and her husband cared for him for months.

Social Services fall over themselves to be politically correct in deciding who can adopt children in care but I still believe that the child’s needs come before any of that PC rubbish which is all too prevalent nowadays.

I cried and cried. It's just so shocking. I can't bear to read any further details. Bless this dear little baby.

Yet another tragic case. It makes harrowing reading but what distresses me as much as the actual cruelty is that nothing changes. I appreciate that many services are seriously stretched but all too often we read about the agencies being fobbed off with flimsy excuses from the parents. Wouldn't that, in itself, wave a red flag? Communication between those involved with monitoring a child seems non-existent. No one joins up the dots.
Admiral Grace Hopper said that the most dangerous in our language is 'We have always done it this way'. For me that phrase is 'Lessons will be learned' because they never are.

It would seem highly unusual though Iam64? That there was no history or other issues.

I cannot think too much about this beautiful little soul being tortured and killed it makes me weep.
Such utterly depraved and sadistic perversions are beyond heinous and as well as being locked up these evil individuals should be castrated. I believe men can be chemically castrated but I really don’t care how they do it.

In this case I would give the social workers a break.

Vetting of children for adoption can never get it right 100% of the time. There will be cases where everything looks hunky dory, but hides a sinister purpose not visible to the social worker and not showing in background checks. Paedophiles are usually highly manipulative people who know how to hide in full sight.

Conflicted about the information that the names of the Social Workers are now in the public domain.
Social Work is seriously depleted of staff. This is part of the 'over seeing' problem.

Yes, Iam64, that would be a good way of checking out prospective parents. And then be wary of people who had 'lost' their phones.