Baby P’s Mum Breaks Silence: ‘I Let Him Be Tortured for a Prince Charming’
Tracey Connelly has shockingly admitted she allowed her violent boyfriend to torture her 17-month-old son because she wanted a “Prince Charming.” In her first comments since being jailed for Baby P’s death in 2009, Connelly confessed, “I was a bad mother” who “failed to protect” little Peter.
Horrific Abuse Missed While Mum Chased Romance
Toddler Peter suffered over 50 injuries, including fractured ribs and a broken back, before dying in August 2007. Despite 60 visits from social workers, police, and health officials in eight months, nobody stopped the shocking abuse that devastated the nation.
Connelly told the parole board she “deep down” knew her partner Steven Barker was harming Peter. But desperate to keep her relationship, she “ignored my gut” and let Barker move into their Tottenham home.
“I’m ashamed to admit I was in my own head, my own bubble, where I wanted my Prince Charming and unfortunately paid for that.” – Tracey Connelly
She admitted there were “101 things I could have done” to protect Peter but chose not to, saying her selfishness “allowed my son to die.”
Still a Danger? Connelly Doubts She’ll Ever Care for Kids Again
Now 44, Connelly admitted she remains a “risk to any children in my care” and doubts she’ll ever be trusted with kids again. “Am I a risk to children running down the street? Not at all,” she claimed.
But her record tells a darker story. Twice recalled to prison over secret romances, she lied about her relationships, deleted evidence from phones, and spun false tales to online lovers. The parole board faces a grim question: can a proven manipulator who endangered a child ever be safely freed?
Baby P Tragedy: A National Outcry That Changed Britain
- Peter’s death revealed horrific failures by child protection despite 60 official visits.
- Connelly was jailed indefinitely in 2009 for causing or allowing his death.
- Boyfriend Steven Barker got 12 years; brother Jason Owen sentenced to 6 years.
- The case sparked nationwide outrage and major child welfare reforms.
- Connelly has applied for parole seven times, twice returned for breaches.
At her latest parole hearing, Connelly revealed she met a man on a dating app using a fake backstory, sent intimate photos, and even spent a weekend together—yet couldn’t tell him the truth about her past. Her chilling words: “If I had to tell him who I was, anyone in their right mind would run a mile.”
Justice Minister David Lammy Opposes Release Despite Prison Backing
Though her prison offender manager supports her release, Justice Minister David Lammy is firmly against it, echoing public fury and the gravity of her crimes.
Peter’s family, nearly 18 years on, remain devastated and demand strict conditions if Connelly is freed.
Final Decision on Parole Due Next Month
The parole board has sifted through a 763-page file on Connelly’s case and will decide next month if she can be released without risking public safety.
One thing’s clear: Connelly’s haunting confession—that she sacrificed Baby P for her “Prince Charming”—remains a chilling reminder of a catastrophic failure that cost an innocent child his life.
