Jail For Pair Who Starved Daughter To Death

Fri, 12 March 2010 Courtesy of: Guardian

The mother and stepfather who allowed seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq to starve to death have been jailed for manslaughter.

Angela Gordon was jailed for 15 years and her former partner Junaid Abuhamza was jailed indefinitely with a minimum term of seven and a half years.

The pair were cleared of murder during a trial at Birmingham crown court last month but convicted of manslaughter.

“Khyra had been taken out of school by her mother for what she claimed was home learning”

Gordon, 35, and Abuhamza, 31, admitted child cruelty charges relating to five other children in their care and control who were also starved and abused.

Neither defendant reacted as they were sentenced.

The judge told them they had subjected the children to "a domestic regime of punishment which was chilling in its harshness and cruelty".

"A regime introduced by you, Abuhamza, as it had its origins in your own upbringing, but a regime to which you, Gordon, became a party," Mr Justice Roderick Evans said.

"It is not right to say that these children suffered from neglect. Neglect is an inadequate and inappropriate description of the way they were treated."

He told Gordon her cruelty was "horrific" and made worse because she was Khyra's mother.

Birmingham social services have been criticised over their failure to prevent her death.

The tragedy of Khyra's death was summed up by a high court judge who said "It is beyond belief that in 2008, in a bustling, energetic and modern city like Birmingham, a child of seven was withdrawn from school and thereafter kept in squalid conditions for a period of five months before finally dying of starvation."

Khyra had been taken out of school by her mother for what she claimed was home learning but Birmingham council had been repeatedly warned by her deputy headteacher about her welfare.

Social workers followed up three calls from the teacher but decided there was nothing wrong. Two education officials from the local authority questioned Gordon about home teaching but were not allowed to see Khyra.

The last social worker saw Khyra on the doorstep of her home in February 2008 and said there was no cause for concern. Within 12 weeks Khyra was dead.