Support truly
independent journalism
Baby P’s mother has been recalled to prison after breaching licence conditions.
Tracey Connelly, 42, was jailed in 2009 for causing or allowing the death of her son, two years after he was discovered badly injured at her home in Tottenham.
She was released from prison in July 2022 with more than 20 licence conditions imposed including wearing an electronic tag, living at a specified address and having to disclose her relationships.
The Ministry of Justice said in a statement: “Offenders released on licence are subject to strict conditions and we do not hesitate to recall them to prison if they break the rules.”
It is not clear which of her licence conditions Connelly breached. Her re-release will be a matter for the parole board.
Baby P, later known as Peter when the naming restriction was lifted, died in 2007 following months of abuse from his mother, her partner and his brother.
An inquiry found Peter had suffered over 50 injuries and was visited 60 times by the authorities in the eight months leading up to his death.
His injuries included a broken back, fractured shinbone, broken ribs, missing fingernails and mutilated fingertips. A post-mortem revealed he had swallowed a tooth after being punched.
Haringey Council received major criticism from politicians and the media for the failure of their child protection services.
Tracey Connelly, her partner Steven Barker, and his brother Jason Owen, were convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child.
Owen and Connelly were cleared of murder based on insufficient evidence, while Barker was found not guilty of murder by a jury.
In a separate trial in April 2009, Connelly and Barker were charged in connection to the rape of a two year old child. Connelly was found not guilty of child cruelty charges while Barker was found guilty of rape.
Connelly received a sentence of indefinite imprisonment for public protection, subject to a minimum term of five years, while Barker was sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape, with a minimum sentence of 10 years, and a 12-year concurrent sentence for his role in Peter’s death.
Owen was also jailed indefinitely, with a minimum term of three years - which was changed on appeal to a fixed six-year term.
