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Tougher sentences call for child cruelty



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Published Date: 09 July 2008
AN INTERNET petition calling for greater sentencing powers for judges dealing with child cruelty cases has been signed by more than 260 people following the horrific death of a three-year-old Sheffield girl.
The online poll was launched in the wake of the death of Tiffany Wright, who was starved in her home above The Scarbrough Arms pub in Upperthorpe.

Campaigners are calling on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to give judges the right to jail people for l
onger for neglecting children.

Tiffany's mum Sabrina Hirst, 22, was jailed for 12 years after admitting manslaughter and her 44-year-old husband Robert - the tot's stepfather - was sentenced to five years for child cruelty. Sheffield Crown Court heard the couple regularly starved Tiffany and left her locked in filthy living quarters above their pub without supervision.

In the days before she died, last September, Tiffany had not been given anything to eat or drink for at least 20 hours, and she lay dead for two days before her body was discovered by the couple.

The petition states: "We, the undersigned, petition the Prime Minister to increase the sentencing of those responsible for the death of children as a result of child abuse and neglect."

Click here to sign the petition

What do you think? Add your comment below.

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The full article contains 234 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
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  • Last Updated: 09 July 2008 7:32 AM
  • Source: Sheffield Star
  • Location: Sheffield
 
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Dave Glossop,

anti-cps League 09/07/2008 11:18:39
There is no need for tougher sentencing in this case as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) should have looked at the charge of murder as suggested by the trial judge. We're talking stable doors and horses here.

If the CPS had any bottle they would have trusted a Sheffield Jury to reach the descison that slowly starving a child of food and fluids is murder and less humane than if they had shot her in the head.

In my opinion the CPS maybe should have looked at charging others that looked away for two years as this toddler was neglected and slowley died.

This was a case where the commninity of Sheffield could examine itself as to whether we are doing the right thing in supporting Social Services rather than blaming them!
2

amy@irwin,

09/07/2008 12:10:00
I agree that the CPS should have treated this as a murder charge, not manslaughter, manslaughter to me indicates there getting let off with a lighter sentence for some reason, probably claiming they were ill or some rubbish.

That petition should be passed around via an internet site as im sure there will be plenty of people willing to sign to show Gordon Brown what needs to be done
3

taximansam,

sheffield 09/07/2008 16:12:23
i agree with both posters, the CPS is yitten - pure and simple.
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