Victims Minister refuses to say if Baby P’s mother could be freed under prison reforms

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Connelly was jailed in 2009 for causing or allowing the death of her 17-month-old son Peter at their home in north London in August 2007. The case sparked national outcry.

Alex Davies-Jones, Victims Minister and Labour MP for Pontypridd, said each case would be decided individually through a “proper legal process”, and insisted no decision would be taken that put the public at risk.

When asked directly about Connelly, by Henry Riley, she said: “I'm not going to get into the detail of specific cases.

"That wouldn't be fair. It is a very famous and horrific case, and I can't be dragged into commenting on specific cases.”

Along with its counterpart for under-18s, detention for public protection (DPP), the IPP scheme was designed to keep people locked up who were considered dangerous and thought to pose a serious risk to others if released.

Both ran from 2005 until 2012 when they were abolished, and many of those given IPP sentences have ended up spending far longer in prison than they otherwise would have if they had been sentenced outside of that period. Statistics from the MoJ and HM Prison and Probation Service show that as of June 30 this year, 856 people remained behind bars after being given IPP sentences.

Her comments follow Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s announcement that people convicted of unlawful killing - including manslaughter and causing death by dangerous driving - will be excluded from an early-release scheme designed to ease prison overcrowding.

Connelly's then-boyfriend, Steven Barker, and his brother, Jason Owen, were convicted of the same crime.

Known publicly as Baby P, Peter 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.

Connelly admitted the offence of causing or allowing the death of her son and was handed an IPP sentence with a minimum term of five years. She was released on licence in 2013, but was recalled to prison two years later after failing to disclose an online relationship. In 2024, she was recalled again to jail after being released in 2022.

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The early-release scheme already excludes those convicted of rape and child sex offences, with some historic sexual offences, including indecent assault, now also being added to the list.

The Government’s IPP review is being led by Justice Secretary Alex Norris and is due to be published when Parliament returns from the summer recess in September.

IPP sentences, which were abolished in 2012, left some prisoners serving beyond the minimum terms set by judges.

Ms Davies-Jones said the Government wanted to address what she called the “historic injustice” of the system, but stressed that this would not happen quickly.

She said: “These sentences were abolished in 2012 by the previous coalition government… I’m hoping we can build cross-party consensus in the House to ensure that we are able to do this responsibly, carefully, and considerately, because that's what's needed here.”

The Victims Minister said more than 80% of people serving IPP sentences had spent longer in prison than their original tariff, in some cases by decades.

She said: “There are individuals who stole a mobile phone, for example, who are still in prison [on IPPs].

”The early-release scheme, known as the Earned Progression Model, is separate from the IPP review.

Ms Davies-Jones said the new exemptions now cover people convicted of rape, child sexual offences, unlawful killing, death by dangerous driving and certain historic sex offences.

She said: “We have now excluded, on top of excluding everyone who had committed rape or child sexual offences, anyone convicted of unlawful killing, so that includes manslaughter. It also includes death by dangerous driving.”

The changes followed criticism after it emerged that Bowers and Cole, who were passengers in the vehicle that dragged PC Andrew Harper to his death in 2019, could have been eligible for release halfway through their 13-year sentences.

Mr Burnham has said “hundreds” of prisoners will remain behind bars under the new exemptions, although eligible prisoners are still expected to begin being released from October.