Tracey Connelly, the mother of Baby P, has spoken about his death for the first time at a parole hearing where she said she was a 'bad mother' and would be a 'risk to children in her care'.
Connelly was jailed in 2009 for causing or allowing the death of her 17-month-old son Peter at their Tottenham home.
The toddler had died in 2007, and Connelly's boyfriend Steven Barker and his brother Jason Owen were convicted of the same crimes as the mother.
Peter had been on the at-risk register and over the course of eight months received 60 visits from social workers, health professionals and police officers. He had suffered over 50 injuries, including fractured ribs and a broken back, leading up to his death.
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Connelly was sentenced to prison with a minimum term of five years, and she was recalled to prison last year after starting a relationship with a man she met online and failing to tell the authorities supervising her. She had previously been recalled to prison for the same reason.
'My children paid for that'
Speaking at her parole hearing, Connelly said she 'knew deep down' that Barker was abusing her son, but she 'wanted my prince charming and unfortunately my children paid for that'.
When asked if she still posed a risk to children, she said that she did if they were 'children in my care'.
She said: "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.
"Am I a risk to children walking down the street? No."
Connelly also claimed she would not get into a relationship with someone who had children or grandchildren, saying she 'was s**t with my own' and doesn't 'want to put anybody else at risk from me'.
'I was a bad mother'
The woman said there was a lot more she could have done to protect her children before the death of Baby P, including telling the authorities that Barker had moved in with her.
"I was a bad mother," she told the parole hearing of the way she treated her children.
"I failed to protect them, I put my needs first, I took all my anger at the world on my older children. I didn’t give them what they needed and they deserve a whole lot better than me."
Connelly's prison offender manager recommended her for re-release with a management plan, while parole chairwoman Sally Allbeury said Peter's loved ones had given 'extremely moving' statements.
She said: "There can be no doubt that Peter’s death has caused lifelong harm to those who loved him."
The hearing continues.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
Joe Harker