Re: Boy, 5, ‘was beaten to death by Mum’s boyfriend because he lost his shoe’

Conversely, in my immediate family, the husband (now ex) of a cousin buggered off with another woman and took on her children totally abandoning and ignoring his own daughter. On the few occasions she visited her dad with his new `wife` she was ignored and left out of all of the new family's activities, subsequently, she's kicked him into touch and has no interest in ever seeing him again.

Re: Boy, 5, ‘was beaten to death by Mum’s boyfriend because he lost his shoe’

Any acts and figures to prove this assertion?

Maybe the `evil step-dad` is so ingrained in people's consciousness that step-dad murders are the only ones that make it into the news?

ETA:

Taken from the Guardian

"
Who kills children?

In the vast majority of cases, children who are homicide victims are killed by a parent. Looking at figures from England and Wales over the last decade, on average around 70% of child homicides where there was a suspect were committed by a parent.
Just over 16% were committed by another family member, a friend, or an acquaintance, while the remaining 15% were committed by strangers (figures are rounded).
Figures based on 10-to-15-year-olds show that those in the lowest income households were more than twice as likely to be homicide victims as those in the highest income brackets."

Re: Boy, 5, ‘was beaten to death by Mum’s boyfriend because he lost his shoe’

You only have to think of the type like Fred West to answer that one. Child abuse is not specific to step-parents.

Does any member on here who remarried and allowed their new spouse to bring up their child or children lie awake at night wracked with worry they had allowed a child abuser or murderer into their home?

Re: Boy, 5, ‘was beaten to death by Mum’s boyfriend because he lost his shoe’

Father, step-father, mum, step-mum, black or white....it matters not.

They're evil bastids whichever way you look at it.

Re: Boy, 5, ‘was beaten to death by Mum’s boyfriend because he lost his shoe’

That's the bottom line Tpin.
Some people are sick in the head and derive pleasure from hurting children. Whatever their relationship regarding a child.

Re: Boy, 5, ‘was beaten to death by Mum’s boyfriend because he lost his shoe’

Except there are thankfully few types like Fred West a poor example .
Children are killed by their fathers usually to revenge themselves on the mother following an estrangement.

Re: Boy, 5, ‘was beaten to death by Mum’s boyfriend because he lost his shoe’

Judd more children are killed by their parents than step fathers because more children live with their parents than with step parents .
However more small children are killed disproportionately by step fathers or 'uncles' / boyfriends .
ie males who are not their biological fathers

The factors than are present in most parents that stop them killing their own offspring - their own genes - are not present in step parents.
Ie as in this case the trigger was a missing shoe which unleashed the rage of this grown man on ahelpless five year old.
Yes i would agree they are in a lower social strata ,
they are men no sane women and mother would want anyway but sadistic step parents can come from all walks of life . If they are well off the child can be protected from a step parents anger by nannies or being sent to boarding school.
This is not a new phenomenon as documented by Charles Dickens in at least two of his novels Nickolas Nickleby and David Copperfield,

Re: Boy, 5, ‘was beaten to death by Mum’s boyfriend because he lost his shoe’

Its very difficult nobody wants to interfere,afraid they will get a mouthful of abuse or worse.A little boy a few doors down from me is often crying [ hes about 3 years old ] ,he spends a lot of time in the garden, and I hear the Grandfather [ Father left when he was born ] talking to him, but they speak in Polish so I dont know what its all about,there are 2 older boys as well and when Ive seen the children they look okay,As there are a couple of high fences between us I cant see them.Ive asked my neighbour , who is between us if the child is alright , but as he doesnt go in his garden much ,and gets into his car when going out he doesnt see them either.The Mother seemed friendly on the odd times we met,but our paths seldom cross

Re: Boy, 5, ‘was beaten to death by Mum’s boyfriend because he lost his shoe’

That is worrying Deylon its difficult to know what to so .
However you say the children look alright abused children often look neglected and dirty.

Re: Boy, 5, ‘was beaten to death by Mum’s boyfriend because he lost his shoe’

It's difficult to say. If the other kids are ok he may have a developmental disorder such as autism or similar, that's nothing to do with how he's being treated but which makes him frequently distressed. There's a little girl next door to me who keeps crying, but apparently it's because she has an digestive disorder which causes pain after eating. I've met her and she looks very happy and not at all abused. So a child crying isn't necessarily a sign of abuse. It's more likely if you hear adults shouting at a child and then crying that something is wrong. Often when there is serious abuse there is no crying because the child is afraid to cry.