Days before a toddler’s body was found curled up next to his dead father, a social worker tried to check up on the boy but was denied access.
The two-year-old starved to death next to his father, who is believed to have had a massive heart attack shortly after he was last seen alive on Boxing Day.
The mother, who lives down the street from where her baby died, is saying the tiny tot would still be alive “if social workers had done their job.” And the online community, surprised by the mother’s absence, says she should “hang her head in shame.”
Keep reading to learn more about Bronson Battersby’s tragic death.
On January 9, after failed attempts from local social workers, Bronson Battersby was found curled up in his pajamas next to his father, Kenneth Battersby, 60, who is believed to have died after a heart attack.
The tot’s mom, Sarah Piesse, said she last saw Bronson in November, when she scuffled with his father. “Kenny and I had argued in November…I backed off a bit and gave him space.” Said the woman, who also created space between her and Bronson.
“I will never stop regretting that now. I can’t sleep because every time I close my eyes, I see his face.”
Two inches too small
And now, Piesse, 43, is haunted by the images of her toddler trying to reach for food, which his father had just moved “higher up so [Bronson] couldn’t get to them without asking.”
The little boy, she describes as “a typical, cheeky, little two-year-old, who loved pink wafer cookies.”
“And then when we said no more, he’d smile and shout, ‘Yeah! More, more, more!’” Piesse shares. “He was about two inches off being able to reach the fridge to open it.”
And it was stocked with leftovers from their Christmas feast, “all the trimmings and chicken instead of turkey, because Bronson liked chicken.”
She adds, “If only Bronson was a little bit taller, then he would have survived.”
The Sun reports that Piesse and Battersby, who also share a daughter, three, and son, seven, separated in 2019.
After Piesse moved into a home that was unsafe for a toddler, the two parents decided it was best for Bronson to live with his dad.
Bronson was last seen alive by his neighbor after they visited the house on Boxing Day. Kenneth then messaged the same neighbor saying: “Thanks so much for caring, it means the world to me and Bronson.”
Curled up in pajamas
According to reports, when Piesse heard from a neighbor that her ex was dead, she “was there in 10 minutes flat.” She said, “I ran down the road screaming Bronson’s name.”
But when she arrived, they put her in the back of an ambulance and explained a two-year-old was found dead next to Battersby.
“I knew there was no way that Kenny would let anything happen to Bronson. He would never lay a finger on him,” said the mother. She trusted her ex-husband, who had a pre-existing heart condition. And because Kenneth, who was unemployed, was classified as vulnerable by social workers, Piesse knew Bronson would be visited weekly.
Despite living so close to Kenneth and Bronson, Piesse still depended on social workers to check up on her child.
And when they weren’t able to, she shifted responsibility, saying, “If social services had done their job Bronson would still be alive. But they didn’t do anything. We have to be able to rely on social workers to keep our children safe.”
“I’ve had the results of the post-mortem. Bronson starved to death because his dad died. They think Kenneth died no earlier than December 29.”
According to Heather Sandy, Lincolnshire’s director of children’s services, the social worker who “had worked with Bronson and his family over a period of time,” visited their home in Skegness on January 2 for a routine visit. When there was no answer at the door, she contacted police.
The mom insists the social worker should have been more forceful and “pushed to get in” when there was no reply on January 2.
“Then Bronson would still have been alive,” Piesse charges.
On January 4, the social worker returned to the address and again contacted police.
On January 9, she acted on her suspicions and getting a key from the landlord of the property, she entered the home.
She found Bronson, wearing his pajamas and curled up next to the body of Kenneth.
“He was such a loving, adorable little boy. They found him curled up at Kenneth’s legs. He was left in the dark and must have been terrified and so confused. He must have thought his dad was just asleep or something,” said a family friend.
Piesse says, “His last moments were spent alone, and he must have been so thirsty and hungry…He will have been crying. He will have been so confused…And Kenny was there on the floor. I can only pray he thought his dad was asleep.”
Skylar, the family’s pet dog, was found emaciated but alive.
‘Failure falls on mom’
Sandy from children’s services, said “This was a tragic incident, and we are supporting the family at this difficult time.” The organization is also looking into the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident. The social worker wasn’t suspended but has taken voluntary time off.
Piesse adds, “No other mother should have to go through what I have been through. I want to know why did they not gain access on the first visit? That would have saved him.”
While feeling the depth of the mother’s loss, the online community doesn’t agree with Piesse faulting social workers for the death of her son.
One shares, “there is no way [I] would leave my baby with a sickly partner, she is laying the blame on [social services], where was she why had she not been in contact with her son over the Xmas period?” The comment continues, “…too easy to point the finger on [social services], she did all she could, the failure falls on mom no one else, poor kid.”
A second writes, “Why is the mother blaming the social worker? She contacted the police, she did the correct thing…Also as a parent myself I contact my child most days when she visits her dad, in fact it’s probably more like 3/4 times a day.”
“I think the social worker did what she was supposed to do, she assumed the police would do a welfare check. She didn’t fail them,” writes a third.
Another adds, “I’m totally bewildered by this story – so the mother did nothing to check on him? Poor, poor little boy – the mother should hang her head in shame.”
It’s so tragic to hear about this sweet little boy and how he died. It is surprising that a mom wouldn’t be in frequent contact with her child, especially when they live so close.
What do you think of this story? Do you feel social services is responsible or should the mother have been more present? Please share your thoughts with us and then share the story so we can hear what others have to say!
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