Baby P's Mother Seeks Parole Again 19 Years After Toddler's Death

Tracey Connelly, the mother of the child publicly known as Baby P, is again seeking release from prison, nearly two decades after her 17-month-old son died from horrific abuse. Connelly, 44, is scheduled to appear at a two-day public parole hearing this week.

Connelly was given an indefinite sentence in 2009 with a minimum term of five years after being convicted of causing or allowing the death of her son. The toddler, Peter, was found dead in his north London home on August 3, 2007, having sustained more than 50 injuries. At the time of his death, Peter had been on the at-risk register and had received numerous visits from social workers, police, and health professionals.

Her former boyfriend, Steven Barker, and his brother, Jason Owen, were also convicted in connection with the toddler's death. Barker received a life sentence for murder, and Owen was jailed for six years for allowing the death to occur.

Connelly was first released on license in July 2022, after the Parole Board ruled she was suitable for release, citing a low risk of reoffending. However, she was recalled to prison in 2024 for breaching the conditions of her release by starting a relationship with a man she met online without informing her supervisors. Officials stated that Connelly had deleted material from her phone to conceal the relationship, believing she might as well enjoy it while it lasted, despite knowing it could lead to her recall.

This marks Connelly's seventh parole review and her second since her most recent recall. Previous attempts for her release were rejected in 2015, 2017, and 2019. She was first released on license in 2013 but was recalled in 2015 for breaching her parole conditions.

During a public parole hearing in October, Connelly reportedly stated that she would pose a risk to children if allowed to care for them. A psychologist who assessed Connelly noted that she meets the criteria for release, although they also acknowledged the possibility that she could be deceiving the panel. The psychologist indicated that they had not seen evidence of dishonesty.

The Parole Board's decision on whether to release Connelly or transfer her to an open prison will be livestreamed. The public nature of the hearing was approved due to substantial public interest in the case, following a series of reviews that identified missed opportunities by authorities to save Baby Peter's life.