Another abuse case, another death

by Hayley
(Solihull)

In my previous entry, I reflected on the plight of two young kids in Haringey. In recent months, or at least nearly a year ago, news in my local paper, the Birmingham Mail told of a seven-year-old girl called Kyra Ishaq being starved to death by her mother's partner. The report was both distressing and disturbing, how a young group of children had been happy and healthy, attending school or play group like any other kid of the ages that these particular children were. Suddenly their mother met up with a gentleman and they became a couple. Then things turned sickeningly sour. The children who were school age were suddenly withdrawn from school. Big bone of contention here. Why did no-one say anything? Did the school not realise that children who normally went to that school suddenly stopped going?

It was reported on the news that little Kyra and her siblings had been taken to hospital, but Kyra had passed away from starvation. At the beginning of this week the trial of her parents commenced, and her step father has denied the murder of Kyra, but - if memory serves me right - he has admitted guilt to harming other children. I regularly switch on my TV to look at the news and was horrified and sickened to read just what had happened to the little girl. She had been locked in a room and held prisoner, and not allowed to eat for a number of months. This was described as the worst case of starvation seen by doctors.

Did neighbours of this family not notice anything strange? Were these children not allowed to go out to play at all? Why did the children's mother go down the road of hurting her own children? What made her do this and why did Social Services not act?

When this little angel's plight was covered on the local regional news, I was horrified to see some flowers left for little Kyra, with a label written by a lady I have looked after. This lady is in fact a relative of Kyra and her siblings and was utterly devastated. I spent some time talking to the lady when she was a patient on the ward I work on, but still reading more into Kyra's plight. I feel nauseous, angry and sad that such evil acts will be punished only with a light sentence.

The killers of Peter were given an unduly lenient sentence, and a newspaper company is in fact attempting to get them the sentence that their crimes deserve. It is debatable whether or not Kyra's step father will be given a sentence that reflects the gravity of what he did to all of those children, but it would be fair to say that when children are killed or severely harmed by abusive parents or other relatives, the sentence meted out to them is more fitting than just a few years in prison, regardless of the age of the child/children hurt and killed. Children who survive any form of abuse are potentially left with a life sentence of their own. Would it not be better justice for their persecutors to be given life imprisonment, without protection of solitary confinement?

We can dream! I had better go now as time is about to run out on me. Rest in Peace Kyra, you were so brave.