Child cruelty cases jumped by a quarter as England emerged from lockdown
msn.commonths of neglect at the hands of father Thomas Hughes and stepmother Emma Tustin. Less than a fortnight later, two women were jailed following the death of 16-month-old Star Hobson, who suffered ‘catastrophic injuries’.
Frankie Smith, the toddler’s mother, had her initial sentence for ‘causing or allowing’ the tragedy increased to 12 years, while her partner Savannah Brockhill got 25 years for murder.
In both cases, concerns were raised that telltale signs of abuse may have been missed during the isolation of lockdown. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children NSPCC unearthed data confirming there has been a rise in offending.
Freedom of information requests to forces across England showed there were 26,307 cruelty and neglect offences reported in 2021/22.
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