An inquest due to be heard at Southwark Coron

An inquest due to be heard at Southwark Coroners Court
tomorrow (Fri) will expose a frightening anomaly in law that
allows a baby to be battered to death and yet no one is held
accountable.

The case of seven week old Mandeep Dhillon who had fractured
ribs and head injuries is just another in a series of cases
dropped by the CPS because there was no evidence to point to who
actually caused the injuries.

In law the prosecution must prove who actually inflicted the
fatal blow.

Problems arise in cases where a child has been
subjected to prolonged assaults and abuse by one or both parents
– or those adults who have legal custody and car of the child.

Unless one testifies against the other and it can be proved
who did what, then both must be cleared of homicide
(murder/manslaughter).

In this latest case the mother and father not only denied
injuring the child themselves, but neither accused the other of
harming the infant.

Surprisingly the law as it stands does not impose a ‘duty of
care’ on a child’s parents.

For example if you stand by whilst
your wife/husband injures or kills your child and do nothing, in
law you are not culpable, accept possibly of child cruelty which
carries a maximum sentence of two years.

In the case of baby Dhillon police interviewed the parents
and referred the case to the DPP.

But after consideration the
decision was taken not to prosecute.

Baby Dhillon was born on June 7, 1991 and died on July 26.

His parents Mr Karjaspal Singh Dhillon and Mrs Mandhir Kaur
Dhillon have three other children.

The family live at 38 Halstow
Road, Greenwich.

ENDS.