Killing of Peter Connelly

Killing of Peter Connelly
LocationLondon, England
Attack type
Child homicide, child abuse
VictimPeter Connelly, a.k.a.  Baby P
Perpetrators
  • Steven Barker
  • Tracey Connelly
  • Jason Owen
Verdict
  • Barker not guilty of murder
  • All guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable person
ChargesBarker:
Murder
Barker, Connelly, Owen:
Causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable person
SentenceBarker:
Life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 10 years
Connelly:
Indefinite imprisonment with a minimum of 5 years (released after 13 years)
Owen:
Indefinite imprisonment with a minimum of 3 years (released early after 2 years)

Peter Connelly (also known as "Baby P", "Child A",[1] and "Baby Peter", 1 March 2006 – 3 August 2007) was a 17-month-old British boy who was killed in London in 2007 after suffering more than fifty injuries over an eight-month period, during which he was repeatedly seen by the London Borough of Haringey Children's services and National Health Service (NHS) health professionals. Baby P's real first name was revealed as "Peter" on the conclusion of a subsequent trial of Peter's mother's boyfriend on a charge of raping a two-year-old.[2][3] His full identity was revealed when his killers were named after the expiry of a court anonymity order on 10 August 2009.[4]

The case caused shock and concern among the public and in Parliament, partly because of the magnitude of Peter's injuries, and partly because Peter had lived in the London Borough of Haringey, North London, under the same child welfare authorities that failed seven years earlier in the murder of Victoria Climbié,[5] which had been investigated by a public inquiry resulting in measures being put in place in an effort to prevent similar cases.

Peter's mother Tracey Connelly, her partner Steven Barker, and Jason Owen (later revealed to be Barker's brother)[4] were all convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child, the mother having pleaded guilty to the charge.[6] A court order issued by the High Court in England had prevented the publication of the identity of Baby P; this was lifted on 1 May 2009 by Justice Coleridge. An order sought by Haringey Council to stop publication of the identities of his mother and her boyfriend was granted,[7] but expired on 10 August 2009.[4][8]

The child protection services of Haringey and other agencies were widely criticised. Following the conviction, three inquiries and a nationwide review of social service care were launched, and the Head of Children's Services at Haringey was removed at the direction of the government minister. Another nationwide review was conducted by Lord Laming into his own recommendations concerning the murder of Victoria Climbié in 2000.[9] The death was also the subject of debate in the House of Commons.[5]

  1. ^ "The Case of Child A". Haringey Council. 12 November 2008. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  2. ^ "Baby P man guilty of raping girl". BBC News. 1 May 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
  3. ^ Campbell, Duncan; Sam Jones; David Brindle (12 November 2008). "50 injuries, 60 visits – failures that led to the death of Baby P". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  4. ^ a b c "Couple behind Baby P death named". BBC News. 10 August 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
  5. ^ a b White, Michael (12 November 2008). "Squabble over Baby P was not the Commons at its best". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  6. ^ "Men found guilty of baby's death". BBC News. 11 November 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  7. ^ Gammell, Caroline (11 August 2009). "Baby P: the battle to name his mother Tracey Connelly and her boyfriend Steven Barker". The Guardian. London.
  8. ^ Jackson, Guy (23 May 2009). "Mum, stepdad jailed for Baby P's death". Agence France-Presse.
  9. ^ "What we know of the Baby P case". BBC News. 17 November 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2008.