https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13867819/baby-p-stepfather-denied-parole-hearing.htmlBaby P's evil stepfather Steven Barker who tortured the toddler to death will stay behind bars after being denied parole hearing
Barker, 47, has spent 15 years in jail for killing Baby P and raping a two-year-old
Unless he appeals the latest parole decision, he will stay in jail until at least 2026
Baby P's mother Tracey Connelly was recalled to prison earlier this month
By Andy Gardner For Mailonline
Published: 09:17, 19 September 2024 | Updated: 09:37, 19 September 2024
Baby P's evil stepfather's behaviour in prison is so bad that he has been denied a full parole hearing and will remain locked up. Steven Barker, 47, has spent 15 years in prison for torturing and killing 17-month-old Peter Connelly and for raping a two-year-old girl. He has been denied parole four times since 2017 but was hopeful that his fifth would result in a full appeal and his eventual release. However, Barker has been told a review of his jail papers under a Member Case Assessment (MCA) has been unsuccessful. The MCA is the first stage in the review process that normally leads to a full oral hearing in front of a three person panel. Barker now has 28 days to appeal the decision and to request a private oral hearing. The Parole Board confirmed that Barker had been informed of the MCA decision. So far, he has not appealed. If the status quo remains, Barker will be in jail until at least 2026. A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: 'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board refused the release of Steven Barker following a paper review. The panel also refused to recommend a move to open prison. After a paper refusal, the prisoner has 28 days in which to ask the Parole Board for an oral hearing. Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.'
A source said: 'Barker also lost his last appeal under a MCA in 2023. It is very rare for a prisoner to have two rejections in a row. The panel member who read Barker's dossier decided there was enough information to reject his parole appeal. The documentation has to be pretty damning for this to happen and the outcome has to be clear cut.'
The MCA review included documents on his behaviour in jail and in-depth psychological reports. Barker has reason to fear the MCA review, as he lost the last one in October 2023. The review said that Barker had refused to deal with his horrific actions. This included refusing to take part in 'offence-focused interventions'. Barker was among three people jailed in relation to the death of baby Peter in 2007. Peter's mother Tracey Connelly, 42, was released in 2013 before being locked up again in 2015 for breaching her licence conditions. She is alleged to have been selling naked photos of herself and 'developing intimate personal relationships' online. She was released in July 2022, but recalled to prison again this month for breaching her license conditions a second time. She was subject to 20 licence conditions, including having to wear an electronic tag and disclose all her relationships, having her internet use monitored and obey a curfew. She was also banned from going to certain places to 'avoid contact with victims and to protect children'.
A HM Prison and Probation Service spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Offenders released on licence are subject to strict conditions and we do not hesitate to recall them to prison if they break the rules.'
The Parole Board had said at the time of her release in 2022 that she had been cleared for release due to a low risk of reoffending and that probation officers and prison officials supported the plan. As she is serving an indefinite sentence, it will be a matter for the Board to decide if she is ever released again. Barker's brother Jason Owen, 48, was given a six-year custodial sentence for allowing Baby P to die, but has also been released. Little Peter had suffered over 50 injuries, despite being on the at-risk register. Social workers, police and health professionals made a total of 60 visits to his home over an eight-month period before he died. His horrific injuries included a broken back, fractured shinbone, damage to the head, and blackened fingers and toes from cigarette burns. Connelly's lover Barker was handed a life sentence with a minimum of 10 years for raping a two-year-old and given a 12-year term to run concurrently for his 'major role' in Peter's death. A spokesperson for the Parole Board previously said: 'We can confirm the parole review of Steven Barker has been referred to the Parole Board by the Secretary of State for Justice and is following standard processes.'
Baby P: A timeline of the tragedy that shocked Britain
March 1, 2006: Peter Connelly (Baby P) is born
August 3, 2007: 17-month-old Baby P is found dead in cot
November 11, 2008: Peter's mother, Tracey Connelly, boyfriend Steven Barker and brother Jason Owen are convicted of causing his death
November 13, 2008: Ed Balls orders an inquiry into the role of the council, health authority and police
December 1, 2008: An independent review declares Haringey's child protection services 'inadequate'
December 8, 2008: Haringey Children's Services boss Sharon Shoesmith is sacked with immediate effect
May 22, 2009: Connelly is jailed indefinitely, Barker gets a life term and Owen is given an indeterminate sentence for public protection
October 7, 2009: Shoesmith launches a High Court case against Balls to seek compensation for her dismissal
September 15, 2010: Shoesmith tells MPs she is sorry about what happened but refuses to accept any blame, saying she had no involvement in the care of Baby P
May 27, 2011: The Court of Appeal rules in favour of Shoesmith, saying her dismissal was 'tainted by unfairness'
October 8, 2013: Connelly is recommended for release by the Parole Board
February 14, 2015: Connelly is back behind bars after sending nude pictures to male fans
December 29, 2015: The Parole Board rejects Connelly's first bid for freedom
November 28, 2017: The Parole Board rejects Connelly's second bid for freedom
January 6, 2019: The Parole Board rejects Connelly's third bid for freedom
March 30, 2022: Connelly is recommended for release by the Parole Board
July 2022: Connelly is released and sent to a bail hostel
September 2024: Connelly is recalled to prison after breaching her licence conditions
