Baby P’s mother has told a parole board she allowed her partner to abuse her 17-month-old son because she wanted her “Prince Charming,” in her first public comments since being jailed in 2009.
Tracey Connelly, 44, admitted “I was a bad mother” who “failed to protect” Peter after moving her violent boyfriend Steven Barker into their Tottenham home, despite knowing “deep down” he was abusing her toddler son.
Peter, who suffered more than 50 injuries including fractured ribs and a broken back, died on 3 August 2007 in one of Britain’s most notorious child abuse cases that sparked outrage when it emerged he was on the at-risk register and had received 60 visits from social workers, police and health professionals over eight months.
Connelly is making her seventh bid for freedom after being twice recalled to prison for having secret relationships with men she met online, in a hearing being live-streamed from her prison to the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London.
“I Wanted My Prince Charming”
In her first public comments about Peter’s death, Connelly admitted her selfishness cost her son his life.
“I’m ashamed to admit I was in my own head, my own bubble, where I wanted my Prince Charming and unfortunately [Peter] paid for that,” she told the parole board.
She said her “selfishness” meant Peter was stuck in a “worse situation” which “allowed my son to die.”
Connelly admitted that “deep down” she knew Barker was abusing Peter, but was so focused on trying to prove professionals wrong about her relationship that “I ignored my gut.”
“There’s 101 Things I Could Have Done”
“If I had told the professionals this man was living with me, if I had explained we were more than he was just visiting, there are 101 different things I could have done,” Connelly said.
She moved Barker into their home before having to take Peter to hospital with what she was told were “non-accidental injuries” – yet continued the relationship despite the clear danger.
“There’s a lot more I probably could have done,” she acknowledged.
Still a Risk to Children
Connelly admitted she continues to present a risk to any children in her care.
“Given how bad I was at it, I have to accept that’s always a risk if I’m left looking after children, which I can’t see ever being the case,” she told the panel.
“Am I a risk to children running down the street? Not at all.”
The admission that she remains dangerous to children in her care undermines her case for release whilst demonstrating some self-awareness about her catastrophic failures.
Own Childhood Was “Torture”
Connelly, who could not be seen on screen during the hearing, described her own childhood as “torture.”
“It was extremely traumatic, things that I went through which’s not for public consumption. It was not a life experience I would wish on anyone,” she said.
She said her marriage was on “the last legs” when Peter was born and that she would have loved to “have been a mother where I broke the cycle” but instead perpetuated it.
50+ Injuries, Broken Back
Peter suffered more than 50 injuries including fractured ribs and a broken back during months of systematic abuse.
The case became known as Baby P during Connelly’s Old Bailey trial, where she initially denied wrongdoing alongside boyfriend Steven Barker and his brother Jason Owen.
The trial heard how Peter was subjected to a series of assaults of increasing violence for up to eight months before his death.
60 Visits From Authorities
The case sparked national outrage when it emerged that despite being on the at-risk register, Peter received 60 visits from social workers, police and health professionals over eight months.
The systematic failures by multiple agencies to protect an obviously abused child led to widespread reforms of child protection services.
Connelly was described by the sentencing judge as “manipulative and self-centred with a controlling side and a temper” who had prioritised her relationship with her partner over her son’s safety.
Jailed in 2009, Seventh Release Bid
Connelly was given an indefinite sentence for public protection (IPP) with a minimum term of five years in 2009 after pleading guilty to causing or allowing Peter’s death.
This is her seventh attempt to be released from prison, having been twice recalled after breaching licence conditions.
First Release 2013, Recalled 2015
The hearing was told Connelly was first released on licence in 2013, but recalled to prison in 2015 for breaching conditions after “secretly developing intimate personal relationships” online.
She had “incited” another resident at her accommodation to “engage in inappropriate behaviour” and engaged in sexualised chat, sending intimate photos of herself to a man in another country who didn’t know who she was.
Three Failed Release Bids
Her applications for release in 2015, 2017 and 2019 were all rejected by the parole board.
While back in custody, she “developed an intimate relationship with another prisoner” which she hid from staff.
She said they would “kiss and cuddle” but it was “more about friendship,” and she continued the relationship through “jail mail” when they were separated.
Released 2022, Recalled 2023
Connelly was freed from jail for a second time in July 2022 after the parole board found she was suitable for release.
However, she was recalled to prison in September 2023 after again breaching her licence conditions by developing a secret relationship.
Secret Relationship, Deleted Evidence
The parole hearing was told she “developed an intimate relationship with a man” she met online and concealed it from parole officers by deleting material from her phone to avoid detection.
Connelly is allowed to have relationships but must report them to her supervising officers.
Fake Backstory, Hotel Weekend
She told how she met a man on a dating app, giving him a fake backstory about her identity and past.
She sent intimate photos before they met, then went for food, to the cinema and to a hotel for the weekend where they had sex twice.
Her voice broke with emotion as she said: “If I had to tell him who I was, anyone in their right mind would run a mile. How could I ask anyone to be okay with that?”
“Obsessed With Sex?”
Asked if she was “obsessed with sex,” Connelly said it was her way of making “a connection, even if it’s only temporary sometimes.”
She said she is openly bisexual, has an interest in BDSM, and visited a sex club after she was last released from prison.
The pattern of secret sexual relationships that breach her licence conditions suggests compulsive behaviour that undermines her claims of rehabilitation.
Prison Orderly, Daily Bullying
Connelly now works on the care and supervision unit as an orderly in prison and is subjected to daily bullying, abuse and threats, including being spat at, according to her prisoner offender manager (POM).
Child killers are typically amongst the most despised inmates in British prisons, facing ongoing threats and violence.
POM Supports Release, Minister Opposes
The POM is recommending her re-release, believing she has made sufficient progress.
However, the application is opposed by Justice Minister David Lammy, who represents the government’s position that she should remain imprisoned.
763-Page Dossier
The three panel members have reviewed a 763-page dossier on Connelly’s case and will decide if she meets the test for release based on an assessment of her “risk to the public.”
They are expected to make a decision next month.
Family Oppose Release
Statements from members of Peter’s family were not read in public, but panel chair Sally Allbeury said they expressed “concerns about her potential release” and wanted “conditions to be put in place to protect them” if she is freed.
“We found these statements extremely moving. There can be no doubt Peter’s death has caused life-long harm to those who loved him and as such they are also victims of Ms Connelly’s offending,” she said.
Peter’s family continue to suffer the devastating impact of his death nearly 18 years later.
Barker and Owen Sentences
Connelly’s boyfriend Steven Barker, who Peter called “dad,” was jailed for 12 years for his role in the toddler’s death.
His brother Jason Owen was sentenced to six years on appeal after being convicted in relation to Peter’s death.
Pattern of Deception
The hearing exposed Connelly’s pattern of deception that continues nearly two decades after Peter’s death:
- Hid Barker’s presence from social workers
- Lied about the extent of their relationship
- Secretly developed relationships whilst on licence
- Deleted evidence to avoid detection
- Gave false backstories to men she met
- Concealed behaviour from prison staff
Can She Be Trusted?
The fundamental question facing the parole board is whether someone who:
- Prioritised a relationship over her son’s life
- Ignored obvious signs of abuse
- Repeatedly breached licence conditions
- Continues engaging in deceptive behaviour
- Admits she remains a risk to children in her care
…can ever be safely released into the community.
As Connelly makes her seventh bid for freedom, her admission that she sacrificed Peter for her “Prince Charming” serves as a chilling reminder that her selfishness led directly to an innocent toddler’s brutal death – and her pattern of secret relationships suggests the manipulation and deception that killed Baby P remains deeply ingrained in her character.
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