Parole hearing to resume for mother of Baby P after almost a year’s pause

The mother of Baby P, who died after months of abuse, is set to continue her bid for freedom after her parole hearing was adjourned almost a year ago.

Tracey Connelly was jailed at the Old Bailey in 2009 for causing or allowing the death of her 17-month-old son Peter at their home in Tottenham, north London, on August 3 2007.

Known publicly as Baby P, he had suffered more than 50 injuries, despite being on the at-risk register and receiving 60 visits from social workers, police officers and health professionals over eight months.

Two public parole hearings took place for Connelly last October, but the case was adjourned.

Baby P (ITV News/PA)

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They were the first reviews since she was recalled to prison for a second time, in August 2024, which the panel heard came after she started a relationship with a man she met online without telling officials supervising her.

Tuesday’s hearing will be livestreamed on a video feed from the prison, and panel members will assess the risk of releasing her or recommend she is transferred to open prison conditions.

Connelly, now in her 40s, told one of the October hearings that she would be a risk to children in her care.

“Given how bad I was at it, I have to always accept that there is always a risk if I am left looking after children, which I can’t see ever being the case,” she said.

Her then-boyfriend, Steven Barker, and his brother, Jason Owen, were convicted of the same crime as her.

Steven Barker (Metropolitan Police/PA)

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Giving evidence off camera, said she “knew deep down” that Barker was abusing her son, but she wanted her Prince Charming – and her children “paid for that”.

Connelly also accepted that she “lied” to professionals supervising her about the relationship she had started, but insisted that she has developed trust with officials since being recalled.

A psychologist told the other hearing that the prisoner could be deceiving the parole panel.

However, the psychologist also said they had “not seen any evidence” that Connelly was being “disingenuous or deceitful”, and that she meets the test for release from prison.

Tracey Connelly (Metropolitan Police/PA)

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Parole hearings are usually held in private, but a judge previously approved applications for Connelly’s review to be heard in public, concluding “there can be no doubt that there is a substantial public interest” in the case.

A series of reviews identified missed opportunities for officials to save Baby Peter’s life had they reacted properly to warning signs.

Connelly had admitted the offence of causing or allowing the death of her son and was handed a sentence of imprisonment for public protection with a minimum term of five years.

Connelly left prison in July 2022 after the Parole Board ruled she was suitable for release in March that year – after hearing she was considered to be at “low risk of committing a further offence” and that probation officers and prison officials supported the plan.

This was despite the panel highlighting concerns over Connelly’s ability to manipulate and deceive, and hearing evidence of how she had become embroiled in prison romances and traded secret love letters with an inmate.

Then-justice secretary Dominic Raab appealed against the decision, but a judge rejected his bid to keep her behind bars.

She had previously been released on licence in 2013 but was recalled to prison in 2015 for breaching her parole conditions.

Officials rejected three previous bids in 2015, 2017 and 2019 for Connelly to be released.