Emma Tustin and Thomas Hughes #2

[CariettaWhite]

You really are not alone. I’m late 50’s and can honestly say I have NEVER been as disturbed as I am by this tragedy.

Same here.
Nothing in the news has ever upset me like this case.
“No one loves me”. Dear god

 

[Admiralbow]

I listened to her story as well and thought it sounded ridiculous even befoee knowing anything else. I listened to it before knowing much about the case. Was this child severely autistic? No. So why would a young child be bashing his head against the floor repeatedly? Only a child in unbearable paychological distress would behave in such a way so even at face value her narrative came off as an admission of abuse by someone too thick to realise it.

She’s fucking evil to the core. I’m in my 30s and never had a fight in my life but could easily batter her and wouldn’t even think twice about it. How anyone could ever physically hurt a child, an innocent child is beyond what my brain can capacitate. In fact it’s not even just the physical abuse it’s the starving, poisoning, the mental torture she put that poor baby through. There seems to be so many reports on abused children killed by their “carers” through lockdown, it’s so tragic.

If it meant being exposed for breaking lockdown I would take a fine of whatever amount to keep Arthur safe. So many people let this poor baby down

She deserves to rot in hell as well, who the fuck would ignore that abuse just to save their own arse. I hope she wakes up every day riddled with the guilt that if she had phoned the police/an ambulance, Arthur could still potentially be alive today. I know the ambulance could’ve potentially taken ages to get there but that’s the risk she should’ve taken. Trying to make out like she tried to help by her husband secretly giving him water… NO YOUR HUSBAND SHOULDVE PICKED THAT POOR BOY UP AND DROVE HIM STRAIGHT TO THE POLICE STATION, covid or not! Rot in hell you absolute scum bag!

 

[heatmagazine]

She’s fucking evil to the core. I’m in my 30s and never had a fight in my life but could easily batter her and wouldn’t even think twice about it. How anyone could ever physically hurt a child, an innocent child is beyond what my brain can capacitate. In fact it’s not even just the physical abuse it’s the starving, poisoning, the mental torture she put that poor baby through. There seems to be so many reports on abused children killed by their “carers” through lockdown, it’s so tragic.



She deserves to rot in hell as well, who the fuck would ignore that abuse just to save their own arse. I hope she wakes up every day riddled with the guilt that if she had phoned the police/an ambulance, Arthur could still potentially be alive today. I know the ambulance could’ve potentially taken ages to get there but that’s the risk she should’ve taken. Trying to make out like she tried to help by her husband secretly giving him water… NO YOUR HUSBAND SHOULDVE PICKED THAT POOR BOY UP AND DROVE HIM STRAIGHT TO THE POLICE STATION, covid or not! Rot in hell you absolute scum bag!

Here here. If you saw an adult unable to hold a cup to their mouth as they were so weak, them being so skeletal and near passing out you’d at least call 111 with thoughts perhaps something innocent was happening such as an infection. Never mind leaving a child like it after witnessing extreme punishments whilst being so unwell. I do not think the hairdresser is on par with ET at all I think selfishly she was more concerned of the £10,000 covid fine and loss of business. I’m glad she gave evidence in court but she will be racked with guilt and shame for the rest of her days that her actions contributed to the avoidable murder of a child.

 

[EddyDarling]

Same here, he’s on my mind so much, especially when I hug my child I think how could anyone not love their child so much and allow someone to come into their lives and treat their child like that.
It’s beyond tragic. They had no right to take his life away. I’m just heartbroken.

My little girl is a year younger than Arthur. I think about it all the time, every time I pick her up from school, she bounces out of the school gates and always tells me that she missed me, but the thought of a kid her age feeling fear and dread when their parent turns up, it's completely alien.

I just feel like he never stood a chance against his dad and ET. I think his dad should get the same sentence as ET too, because ultimately the buck stops with him, he was Arthur's dad and he choose to move Arthur into that house of horror, if he'd put his son before his new piece he would still be here.

 

[bluecups]

I'm not in any way victim blaming or family shaming, so I hope this isn't taken this way - Daniel Hughes claimed they had spoken as a family of breaking down the door and taking Arthur (after the sever bruise picture was ignored - so I'm assuming it would have still been visible at this time). He says the police advised him he would be arrested for kidnap and his child removed from him? Is there truth to this? Anyone in the force could confirm?

I genuinely think if I was in that position, and I was *certain* he was being abused, I'd like to think I'd take my chances? Surely if you save a child from certain abuse, any charges against you would be dropped? Or am I looking at this in a very simplistic way?

I feel the same. Personally I'd have been on Cransmore Road banging a drum and shouting into a megaphone about Arthur's condition, telling all the neighbours and shouting the odds until the police got there. And after being released from the police station I'd go back again and again. The family saw the bruises with their own eyes and took photos, they knew it wasn't a baseless allegation so they knew their complaints were genuine. DH wouldn't have had his child removed as it wasn't a made up complaint, if they had smashed the door down and taken Arthur any doctor would have quickly ascertained that he had non-accidental injuries. It wouldn't have been kidnap, it would have been a rescue. I bet they wished they had smashed the door down now, but they were not to blame for his death, ET and TH were.

 

[avabella]

His background would have had him classed as a highly vulnerable child. They said he had separation anxiety, was worried his dad would kill him, use a baby voice, school would have known about his mum, he was known by SS from the age of 3. Any children not coming online we’re escalated to our senior management team or year group leaders to chase them up. I think all schools have now learnt how to handle lockdowns better, many didn’t get it right the first time but it’s a huge huge shame. He was a vulnerable child before this.

And his worries came devastatingly true

 

[BattleAxing]

Thing is I do slightly agree maybe this thread needs to close. It's gossip? Digging out Arthur's background. Part of me thinks we need to remember Arthur highlighted what abused children have to live and what they live through right now.

But I do think maybe we're wrong to gossip?

But that's your moral standing, which is OK.

Without sounding insensitive this is actually a gossip website where anyone is free to leave. Some people are interested from a criminality or Social services view point. Others (like myself) read here in disbelief wondering how on earth so much was missed. Others, may find comfort in talking about it. (I do strongly recommend people effected because of events in their own childhood take a break and seek some sort of councilling due to reliving trauma). Most discussion here has been very respectful.

 

[Pablox]

Is this the same Hairdresser as previous. If so how her dad has the audacity anything I have no idea. So on 3 separate occasions she’s witnessed concerning behaviour from TH to Arthur and done absolutely nothing

The hairdresser and her boyfriend testified in court. When you read their account of ET's visits to their house it's astounding that they didn't immediately call the police.

Shaking six-year-old looked 'skeletal' the day before he died, murder trial hears

A six-year-old boy alleged to have been murdered after months of cruelty appeared to be "skeletal", had shaking legs and collapsed into a car on the day before he was fatally injured, a witness has told a court.

www.shropshirestar.com

 

[heatmagazine]

She did and it’s also how Victoria slipped through the cracks. Social workers and even doctors saw the way her aunt acted and generalised it as a cultural thing

As I said and stand by, people like this, capable of such horrific abuse and torture, will try and hide behind an ‘excuses’ that usual law abiding citizens live, practice or suffer with to excuse or justify themselves, their crimes and their actions. Culture, religion, mental health, generational trauma, childhood abuse, social economic background, the list goes on. People should be allowed to practice their culture! As long as the persons practicing does not breech with the laws of Britain.

TBH I think the culture thing is a bit of a red herring, but I can see both sides of the debate. However, using 'culture' as an excuse for child abuse is never acceptable - I think it's what Victoria Climbie's aunt tried to claim, and we dont seem to have moved much further forward in terms of child protection.

Using any excuse for child abuse is not acceptable. At all. There is NO excuse for abuse.

Please please let inmates at them ...it’s made me ill thinking if little Arthur’s suffering it’s worst thing I’ve ever heard...it’s utterly heartbreaking! Hope someone knows how these things work can assure us they’ll get their just deserts ...

It won’t be happening anytime soon they will be protected. ET will be in seg. Prisoners that work in units that protect the likes of ET will have access and could spit in her food but working in prison especially under covid regime is a massive privilege and would be difficult to give up to end up in seg themselves and stripped of privileges and put on basic. Child torturer and killer Rose West walks around the the wing unharmed. I work with paedophiles, sadists and APD, really challenging men! They are unscathed. It’s a nice thought that she will get killed off or have their eyeballs plucked out choked with salt, but the women who are in prison for different charges completely unrelated to child abuse need to work within the rules of the prison to have the best chance of getting out of prison. Harming other prisoners will hinder their parole, restrict their privileges and can land them in segregated. It’s easy to say you’d have one hour with her and smash her head in, but would you be prepared to jeopardise your family, children or job for her? Some undoubtedly would, but most could not afford the consequences. This is just my opinion based on my experience.

 

[Lucyxxxx]

Here is a photo of the monsters I took off her Facebook before it was taken down, not sure of this one is in the press though I’d assume it is but this was one of the vile monsters very close to the murder. They have no shame.

That filter somehow makes him look even worse.

 

[DrtCrl]

Why are these terms like 'stepmum' used so loosely? They weren't married, she wasn't involved. She simply didn't even as a mum. Do not give her such a worthy name. My husband is a stepdad and is amazing. She's just a monster

100% this. She was his Dad’s girlfriend, they’d barely been together long.

 

[Scoobadob]

I don't understand why such "parents" won't just hand their children over to the grandparents/outer family who want them or simply say they can't cope or aren't cut out to be a parent and allow them to be fostered or adopted by a family who would cherish them.

I was reading about the case of Kaylee-Jade Priest yesterday. Another child where everybody around her, failed her. From the mother, the neighbours in the flat who heard the screams and thuds often but did absolutely nothing about it to the boyfriends friend who heard one of the attacks while he was in the home but left and did absolutely nothing. What the hell is wrong with people?!

I think in court Hughes said it was 'pride' stopping him. He didnt want to admit to being a crap failure of a father. But i suspect its more likely to do with the underlying beleif with such people that their children are their property. Not human beings. And they are therefore free to do whatever they want with them and to them. If someone else gets them they feel like they have been robbed of their property.

ET was asked by the hairdresser why not just give him back to the grandparents then everyone is happy and she said 'no because that is what he wants so then he will have won'. She was driven by her massive hatred and egoic desire to torture him so wasnt going to be giving him to anyone.

I dont know how any of this can be described as anything othet than pure evil.

 

[heatmagazine]

We can all say what we think we would do. But although they had suspicions that things were not right they did not know what was actually going on and NOBODY knew the extent of the abuse. Some people are very intimidated by the police and social services. If they would have took him yes it would have been kidnap! You could be outside their house kicking and screaming, but it would be you getting taken away not the child. If your name isn’t on the birth certificate you do not have parental responsibility (rights). They did the best they could with what the had. The ones to blame are the people that murdered him.

 

[Mrs_honestyx4]

Do you know what the sad reality is, if Arthur was in school he wouldn’t have had to suffer all the time like that, someone would have noticed more, he would have been able to tell someone, I believe he would have still been alive, atleast he would have been able to eat, drink something, not made to stand for hours, actually been allowed to be a child and be happy that haunts me so much

This is why free school meals are so important. This is why recpetion, year 1 and 2 are important to receive free meals. I just wish they all had milk through primary. Thanks Maggie. O

 

[Pablox]

I find it incredible that social services have to inform the parents when they will be coming to visit, surely that defeats the purpose? The fact that TH initially wanted to have the meeting in a car park, rather than at home, should have raised red flags straight away.

 

[Laura VanderBooben]

View attachment 911621
what are peoples thoughts on this?

Rightly so they should shoulder a lot of the blame. It’s the same old spiel “Lessons will we be learnt”. No they won’t because this has been happening for decades now . How much evidence did social services need before getting of their backsides? bruises on his body and they found nothing to be concerned about?!?! You don’t need to be highly paid, highly funded or even trained to know this was something most definitely to worry about with serious red flags being raised . It wasn’t some underpaid admin who made those decisions, the service woman in his area earned in excess of 120,000 per annum…so the money the funding is there it’s just not being spent correctly


Poor Arthur was let down severely by every single person in his short life. In the end though there is plenty of blame to go around, but ultimately the real monsters in this case are the evil stepmother and father who should be in prison for life.

 

[Jumbojet1251]

Sorry if this has been asked before…

but does anyone know how likely it is that T and H will get a battering in jail?

because on the one hand you read things like “screws turn a blind eye; prison will be hell for them” and on the other hand “even Myra H and Rose W made friends in prison, there were no reports of them coming to harm and their crimes were arguably as bad”

Me I really hope they suffer horribly every day for the rest of their lives.

Well, when ET was kicked out of her cell by her cellmate it was because”someone” left paperwork around with details of the crime on it. Before that was seen she was telling her cellmate that she was in prison because Arthurs dad neglected him.

What I got from that is wardens can be “careless”.

 

[Westcoasthippydreamgirl]

Just wanted to clarify something from the previous thread, about the school not doing enough to find out why he wasn't in, as I have a daughter the same age.

Reception and Year 1 were allowed to go back to school on Monday 8th June 2020 in England. It was socially distanced capacity classes. At my school we had a 'consultation' about a week before. Out of my daughter's class of 30, only 14 went back because parents were still very fearful of covid. The school were so overwhelmed they just said ok and carried on with what they could.

Arthur died only a week later on 16th June so I don't think the school missed anything by not checking up on him. If he left school in March 2020 not deemed at risk then I fail to see why they should have realised he was at danger just because he didn't come back in June because so many other families made the same choice.

 

[BattleAxing]

Would it be helpful to leave social media for a week or two and to switch off from forums discussing Arthur? I know it’s a high profile case and absolutely everywhere you look atm but this might help. X

This! I don't mean to sound mean spirited and heartless but I don't know why people come in here saying they're struggling. My advice too is to take a break from discussing things like this on forums/SM or engage in more light hearted topics if it is causing effect your day to day lives. Not make the thread about their own emotional struggle. The whole nation is very angry about it.

 

[elikayute]

Just wanted to clarify something from the previous thread, about the school not doing enough to find out why he wasn't in, as I have a daughter the same age.

Reception and Year 1 were allowed to go back to school on Monday 8th June 2020 in England. It was socially distanced capacity classes. At my school we had a 'consultation' about a week before. Out of my daughter's class of 30, only 14 went back because parents were still very fearful of covid. The school were so overwhelmed they just said ok and carried on with what they could.

Arthur died only a week later on 16th June so I don't think the school missed anything by not checking up on him. If he left school in March 2020 not deemed at risk then I fail to see why they should have realised he was at danger just because he didn't come back in June because so many other families made the same choice.

I think it’s the lack of joined up working. Apparently Arthur had been known to social services for 3 years. He was vulnerable, having been removed from his mothers care because he went to prison, and then those bruises were photographed in the April. Maybe there’s something around schools needing to be notified when social services are involved, so they can continue to be a watching eye. Perhaps the school would then have insisted on a visit and seen how weak he was. Perhaps spontaneous follow up visits where bruises are photographed but not seen in person.