The wicked mother of Baby P, Tracey Connelly, was sent back to prison after secretly starting an online romance, a hearing heard today. Connelly is refusing to appear on camera from jail as a Parole Board panel deliberates whether she should be released or transferred to an open prison.
This is the first time the 44-year-old has publicly discussed Peter’s death, more than 18 years after he died at just 17 months old.
Today it was revealed that Connelly was returned to prison in August last year after she began an “intimate relationship with a man Ms Connelly met online, which she did not disclose to professionals”. Experts believe she concealed the relationship by erasing messages and content from her phone because it made her “feel nice and feel good about herself, and didn’t want to lose that”.
This happened 10 years after she was first recalled to prison in 2015 for “secretly developing intimate personal relationships via the internet and inciting another resident at her accommodation to engage in inappropriate behaviour”.
It was discovered that Connelly had “developed an intimate relationship with another prisoner” following her first recall to prison in 2015. Sally Allbeury, Chair of the Parole Board panel, stated: “This was subject to considerable scrutiny around concerns Ms Connelly had been deceptive towards those supervising her and had inappropriately prioritised her relationship, both of which were considered to be offence paralleling behaviours.”
Experts are concerned that Connelly has consistently failed to reveal her intimate relationships for fear of being exposed as Baby P’s mother by probation services. Her Prison Offender Manager (POM) stated: “She’s worried, ‘Probation might disclose it to him and he might not want me anymore’, and that’s why she keeps it secret.”
In addition, Connelly’s POM revealed that she has been the target of abuse and threats in prison. When asked about the abuse she has endured, the POM said: “It’s a difficult situation but there’s never been any instances of her retaliating to that. “I think she has managed that appropriately – reporting it to staff, seeking support from staff.
When questioned if the abuse still occurs, the POM confirmed: “Unfortunately, it does continue, particularly when Tracey is going to work in the morning, but in terms of where she is located… she is more protected there.”
Ms Allbeury disclosed today that Baby Peter’s family had penned “extremely moving” statements demanding certain conditions be imposed on Connelly if she is released. She stated: “There can be no doubt that Peter’s death has caused life-long harm to those who loved him and, as such, they too are victims of Ms Connelly’s offending.
The hearing was informed that Connelly, who works as an orderly on the care and supervision unit in prison, faces “abuse and threats” daily as she goes to work.
It was reported that an inmate spat at her once, but she has never been physically attacked. Connelly was imprisoned at the Old Bailey in 2009 for her role in causing or allowing the death of Peter, known to the public as Baby P, at their Tottenham home in North London on August 3, 2007.
Despite being on the at-risk register and having been visited by social workers, police officers, and health professionals 60 times over eight months, Baby P suffered more than 50 injuries.
A chilling catalogue of Peter’s injuries was read out today. Mrs Allbeury informed the hearing: “A postmortem revealed a large number of injuries, including a broken back, several fractured ribs, a missing tooth which he had swallowed likely after a blow to the face, missing fingernails and bruising all over his body”.
Experts stated that she had previously “felt anger towards her children, believing they were interfering in her relationship with her partner and they were a hindrance”.
Connelly has been released twice but recalled on both occasions. Most recently, she was released in July 2022 but was returned to prison in August 2024 after violating the terms of her release. In a briefing prior to Connelly’s hearing, Parole Board chiefs said Connelly “played a major role” in little Peter’s death and echoed the judge’s comments that she “breached her position of trust”.
Connelly has consistently declined to discuss the circumstances surrounding young Peter’s death, even opting not to testify at her trial.
However, today, following the Parole Board’s decision to make the 44-year-old’s hearing public, she is explaining her actions for the first time, facing a panel of experts.
Experts have already warned that Connelly poses a “high and potentially imminent” risk if she were released and allowed access to children.
It has been reported that Connelly herself does not even advocate for a full, unconditional release back into society. In a judgement that ordered a two-day parole hearing to be held in public, the Parole Board stated: “In the current psychological risk assessment, it is assessed that her risk of violence remains low, but that future risk would be high and potentially imminent if she were to have access to children while other risk factors (such as unhealthy intimate relationships or poor mental health) are present.”
Asked if it still happens, the POM said: “There are some outstanding treatment targets, though these are not viewed as essential core risk reduction work nor necessary to be completed in core conditions.”
Connelly, in interview, has stated that she will not be seeking unconditional release due to the support she would lose. The COM’s professional opinion is that the proposed risk management plan including the requested additional licence conditions would support a re-release back into the community.
Her partner, Steven Barker, 49, was imprisoned for at least 12 years for torturing the toddler. His brother, Jason Owen, 52, was given a six-year prison term for permitting Peter’s death.
The case has had a profound effect on the safeguarding procedures for vulnerable children in the UK.