Readers on the killing of the six-year-old, and the failings of wider society that allowed his abuse
This is a heartbreaking case, and my heart breaks further when we learn that there were opportunities, in plain sight, to avert this tragedy (The Guardian view on Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: more lessons to learn, 6 December). So is it not time that grandparents had a legal right to protect their grandchildren? In poor little Arthur’s case, both grandmothers had raised concerns, but it seems these were not taken seriously. In dysfunctional families, many children are used as pawns in a game of vengeance or are, just as regretfully, unloved and abused, leading to tragic consequences.
Who is supporting these little ones, when social workers report back that “all’s well, it appears to be a happy household”? A six-year-old cannot say in front of his abusers that it isn’t, even when the bruises tell his side of the story. We can’t just blame social workers, because we all have a responsibility as a caring society.
