Mother and partner admit to manslaughter of child

The BBC reports that a mother and her partner have admitted the manslaughter of the mother’s seven year old daughter. They were originally accused of starving the little girl to death. Five other children under the couple’s care had also been denied food. The child victim died after being discovered at the family home in a state of starvation.

The couple were probably prosecuted under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933. Schedule 1 lists a number of offences against children including manslaughter. This is the origin of the term “Schedule One Offender”.

The crime also puts the writer in mind of the landmark case of Z v United Kingdom 2001  where the European Court of Human Rights awarded substantial sums of money to children exposed to abuse and neglect, despite clear warnings made to social services. In this case, it is not known what involvement social services had with the family, but in such cases the local social services department may commission a “Serious Case Review” summing up the lessons learned.

See BBC News