Baby P Death: Ruling On 'Lenient' Jail Terms

7:08pm UK, Tuesday June 16, 2009

Tom Rayner, Home Affairs producer
The jail sentences handed down to three people involved in the death of Baby P, now known as Peter, will not be reviewed, following a decision by the Attorney General.

Baroness Scotland had been considering whether to refer the sentences given to the trio to the Court of Appeal for being 'unduly lenient'.

But she has now announced there was 'no realistic prospect' that the sentences would be increased.

Her decision comes on the day the 32-year old boyfriend of Baby P's mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, launched an attempt to overturn his convictions for rape and causing or allowing Peter's death.

His lawyers have now lodged papers appealing against both convictions and both sentences with the Court of Appeal.

Baby Peter was 17 months old when he died, despite being on Haringey Council's child protection register. He had suffered a broken back and more than 40 serious injuries during prolonged domestic violence.

Last month, his mother pleaded guilty to causing or allowing her son's death and was given an indeterminate sentence with a minimum tariff of five years.

Her boyfriend was given a 12 year tariff for the 'major role' he played in Peter's death, as well as a life sentence for raping a two-year-old girl.

The couple's lodger, Jason Owen, 37, from Bromley, south-east London, received an indefinite sentence with a minimum term of three years for failing to take steps to save the little boy.

At the conclusion of the trial, there was public anger at the perceived 'leniency' of the sentences.

NSPCC chief executive Andrew Flanagan said at the time: "We are disappointed. It raises the question of how bad the abuse has to be before offenders get a longer time in prison".

Baroness Scotland said she had reviewed the law and relevant sentencing guidelines before deciding against asking the Court of Appeal to look at increasing the tariffs.

She said: "It was clear to me that the judge, who had heard all of the evidence, fully appreciated the gravity of these terrible offences and took into account all of the relevant factors.

"I believe that the sentences fall within the range that it was reasonable for the judge to have imposed and there is no realistic prospect that the Court of Appeal would increase the sentences if I referred them."

The Attorney General said the life and indefinite sentences handed down by the judge were "entirely merited". She stressed the three defendants would only be released if and when they no longer presented a risk to the public, and children in particular.

"Those closest to the victims deserve our utmost sympathy and support".

The tariffs given to Baby P's mother, her boyfriend and the lodger were indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPPs).

These sentences are regarded by the Prison Service as being equivalent to life sentences, as the prisoner has no 'automatic right to be released'.

Only once their tariff expires do they have the opportunity to have their case reviewed by a team of parole officers, who must decide whether they are no longer a threat to the public.

According to the latest figures, nearly half of the 10,911 people serving 'life' sentences in British prisons are on IPPs.

When they were introduced by former Home Secretary David Blunkett, they were seen as a way in which to allow judges to serve 'life' sentences for crimes which, by conventional sentencing would not have allowed such a severe penalty.

Statistics released to Sky News by the Ministry of Justice last year showed that only one individual serving an IPP had ever been released when their minimum tariff expired.

http://supertroll.blogspot.com/2009/06/attorney-general-could-have-at-least.html




I find this shocking and very disappointing. Poor Baby P never stood a chance in life and it seems that even in death he will carry on being let down by those in power. Why didn't Baroness Scotland try anyway to make a point? Now we will never know if the sentences would have been increased. This shows again lack of conviction and failure to take action, which is what caused this little boy to die in such a horrific way in the first place.

For the sake of other children out there sentencing for such crimes must be increased, starting with Baby P's killers.

Article taken from the Evening Standard:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23708155-details/Attorney+General:+Baby+P+sentences+not+'unduly+lenient'/article.do

This case just gets worse and worse and all it does it make this boy's short little life a life of mockery and injustice. He died a horrible, neglectful death and now, in death, his life is just meaningless....

Sickening.

Hes in a far better place now god bless him.

The thought off his last hours lying in a wet dirty cot wimpering will NEVER go away, knowone coming to him when he was in pain, makes you sick to the stomach.