Parole hearing begins for Baby P mother Tracey Connelly as she admits lying and deception
Tracey Connelly, mother of Baby P, is at a two-day parole hearing via video link, where she admitted lying and deception; a decision is due within 14 days.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A two-day parole hearing has begun for Tracey Connelly, the mother of Peter Connelly, known as Baby P. The hearing will decide whether she should be released from prison. She appeared before the parole board by video link. She chose not to show her face, so only her voice was heard.
Peter Connelly was 17 months old when he was killed at his London home in 2007. His mother was jailed two years later alongside her partner, Steven Barker, and his brother, Jason Owen. She received a five-year sentence for causing or allowing the death of a child. Baby Peter had suffered months of violent abuse at the hands of Barker and Owen, despite being monitored by social services and other health care professionals.
Connelly has been released twice before and recalled to prison both times. She was most recently recalled two years ago after failing to tell probation that she was in a relationship.
At the hearing, the panel asked about her past behaviour, including lying and her ability to be deceptive. She admitted: 'as much as I'd like to say no, I have lied, I have deceived, I have to accept, that is fair.' Victim statements were read privately before the hearing. Connelly said she understood that the impact of her actions had had a lifelong impact on her victims.
The panel is made up of prison staff, psychologists and legal experts. It has reviewed 1,500 pages of supporting documents. The hearing is expected to last two days. After it finishes, the panel has 14 days, taking the deadline to about 10 November, to make a final decision. If the panel cannot decide whether to grant parole, the decision goes to the Secretary of State.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Connelly had previously been granted parole twice and was recalled two years ago for failing to disclose a relationship to probation. | |
| The parole panel must make a final decision within 14 days of the hearing, with a deadline around 10 November. | |
| Tracey Connelly was sentenced to five years in prison for causing or allowing a child's death. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
5 News led on the opening of Tracey Connelly's parole hearing and gave a detailed recap of the Baby P case, including her previous releases and recalls. Its tone was sombre and procedural, with a correspondent reporting from the hearing. It highlighted Connelly's video-link appearance, her admission of lying and deception, and the timetable for the panel's decision.
- “as much as I'd like to say no, I have lied, I have deceived, I have to accept, that is fair.”
- “She appeared via video link. She chose not to show her face, so we only heard her voice today.”
- “This is the latest parole hearing that Tracey Connelly has been part of since she was jailed.”
Broadcast Timeline
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