How could little Bronson Battersby die, left for days next to his father's lifeless body?
The death of the two-year-old shocks the United Kingdom and raises questions about possible failures of the police or social services.
The baby's body was discovered on January 9 next to that of his father Kenneth, 60, in their apartment in Skegness, a seaside resort in the north of England.
He had last been seen two weeks earlier by one of his neighbors.
According to British newspapers, Kenneth Battersby died of a heart attack a few days after Christmas and the little boy found himself alone, without accessible food or water.
Sarah Piesse, the mother of this blond baby whose photo made the rounds in the media, claimed that her son had died of starvation and blamed Lincolnshire county social services.
“
If they had done their job, Bronson would still be alive
,” she accused in an interview with the tabloid The Sun, adding that Kenneth Battersby would have died around December 29.
“Traumatic experience”
The baby's mother, who did not live with him and had not seen him since November, said she was "
haunted
" by the thought of her son desperately searching for food after the death of "
Kenny
", his ex-partner. with whom she has two other young children.
Little Bronson and his father were being monitored by local social services, whose last contact with Kenneth Battersby was on December 27.
“
We are currently examining the case with our partners in order to better understand the circumstances, and we are also awaiting the results of the investigation
” carried out by the courts, said Heather Sandy, the director of social services in the county. of Lincolnshire.
Social services say they notified the police twice: first on January 2, when a social worker went to the Battersbys' house for an appointment, but got no response.
After “
searching for other addresses where the child could have been
”, the social worker returned to their home two days later and made a new report to the police, due to no sign of life.
Five days later, she allegedly finally collected a key from the owner of the apartment, which she entered and discovered the bodies.
This social worker, whose reaction will be subject to an evaluation, took leave after this “
traumatic experience
”.
“Appalling” circumstances
The British police were contacted and confirmed on Thursday that they were carrying out an investigation into potential failings by Lincolnshire officers.
“
The appalling circumstances in which Kenneth and Bronson died are nothing short of shocking
,” said regional director Derrick Campbell.
“
We will see if the police missed any opportunities to check on Kenneth Battersby and Bronson earlier
.”
“
This tragedy highlights the importance of neighborhood.
Skegness is a place with real community spirit and I know how saddened many residents will be
,” commented Matt Warman, Conservative MP for the town.
Bronson's half-sister, Melanie Battersby, tried to calm things down Friday, saying police and social services had "
done what they could
" and were not to blame.
Interviewed by the BBC, she said she was "
satisfied
" that local authorities were carrying out an internal investigation "
to assess whether there were any failures or failings
" before Bronson's death.
Melanie Battersby, 37, also said her father Kenneth had already suffered a heart attack a few months before his death.
The latter “
adored
” Bronson and “
did his best for this little boy until his last breath
,” she said.