What Is Baby P's Story? 17-Month Killed After Mother Allowed Boyfriend to Abuse Son for Months

Tracey Connelly, the mother of the slain 17-month-old Peter Connelly, admitted to being a 'bad mother' during her parole hearing.

The 44-year-old, who was convicted in 2019 for causing or allowing the death of her toddler son at their Tottenham residence and sentenced for a minimum jail time of five years, talked about the incidents leading to his demise for the first time after more than 18 years.

The victim, commonly called Baby P, suffered at the hands of Connelly's boyfriend Steven Barkey. He was also convicted for the same crime as Connelly and his brother, Jason Owen.

Baby P endured over 50 injuries, including a broken back and fractured ribs, despite being put on the at-risk register and getting 60 home visits from social workers, health professionals and police officers for a span of eight months.

What Connelly Said?

During the public parole hearing, Connelly admitted that she 'knew deep down' that her then-boyfriend was abusing her 17-month-old son, but she chose to keep her 'Prince Charming' and her kids 'paid for that.'

When asked if she thinks of herself as a risk to children, she said: 'Children in my care? Yes. 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.'

But she claimed that she is not a risk to other children in public.

Speaking of how she was a parent, she admitted that she was an unfit mother. '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,' she said as reported by BBC.

She also told the panel that she would not want to be in a relationship with a person who has close contact with kids regularly. 'I don't want to be around other people's children or grandchildren,' she said.

Connelly's Sex Club Visit

Aside from admitting that she is a bad parent, Connelly also told her parole officers that she is interested in BDSM fetishes and has visited a sex club when she first came out of jail in 2022, according to The Mirror.

Her hearing with the Parole Board revealed that she was called back in August 2024 after being in a secret 12-month online relationship with a man, and they exchanged sexually explicit messages.

She also mentioned that she never told her then-boyfriend about her past before they met in person. When she was exposed, she was sent back in jail for neglecting to inform the probation services about the relationship.

The prison offender manager handling Connelly's case recommended her re-release with a management plan as per LAD Bible.

Meanwhile, Parole chairwoman Sally Allbeury said that Baby P's loved ones gave extremely moving statements. 'There can be no doubt that Peter's death has caused lifelong harm to those who loved him,' Allbeury said.

Connelly's hearing is still ongoing as of this writing.