Baby P's killer mum Tracey Connelly to be freed after Parole Board rejects govt challenge

5 May 2022, 14:54 | Updated: 5 May 2022, 16:59

The mother of Baby P, who died after months of abuse, is set to be freed from prison after the Parole Board rejected a Government challenge against its ruling to release her.

Tracey Connelly could be out of jail within weeks after judges refused the bid by Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to keep her behind bars.

A spokesman said in a statement: "Following the reconsideration application from the Secretary of State, a judge has ruled that the decision made by independent Parole Board members to release was not irrational, as stated in the reconsideration application, and the original decision is upheld."

Mr Raab condemned the decision and said it was proof the Parole Board needed a "fundamental overhaul".

He tweeted: "Tracey Connelly's cruelty towards her son, baby Peter, was pure evil.

"The decision to release her demonstrates why the parole board needs a fundamental overhaul - including a ministerial check for the most serious offenders - so that it serves and protects the public."

Read more: Baby P's mother 'fears prison attack and asked for more protection' weeks before release

Read more: Justice Sec challenges parole board decision to free Baby P's mother Tracey Connelly

Connelly, who is now 40, 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.

Baby P died after suffering more than 50 injuries at the hands of Connelly's paedophile partner Steven Barker and his brother Jason Owen.

He had been on the at-risk register and received 60 visits from social workers, police and health professionals over eight months.

Connelly admitted the offence and was handed a sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) with a minimum term of five years.

She was released on licence in 2013 but recalled to prison in 2015 after breaching her parole conditions by "developing intimate personal relationships" online.

In March, the Parole Board decided she was suitable for release, having rejected three previous bids.

The decision was meant to be made in 2021 but had been delayed pending more reports and information.

But last month Mr Raab asked the board, which is independent of government, to re-examine the decision under the so-called reconsideration mechanism.