Two jailed over torture death of baby boy

Reuters - 2 hours 54 minutes ago

LONDON (Reuters) - Two people who tortured a 16-month-old baby boy to death, causing him "unimaginable agony," were jailed on Friday under a new law.

Unemployed Abid Ikram, 31, and his partner Sumaira Parveen, 24, of Acton in West London, were acquitted of murder but found guilty of causing or allowing the death of Ikram's son, Talha, who died in September 2006.

The pair maintained their innocence throughout their Southwark Crown Court trial but were convicted under the law, introduced in 2004, that does not require the prosecution to prove which defendant actually carried out the fatal act.

Talha Ikram was pronounced dead on arrival at Central Middlesex Hospital in Acton in September 2006. A post mortem found the toddler to have numerous bruises and abrasions as well as a broken leg and a laceration behind the knee.

Detective Inspector Colin Welsh said that Talha had suffered a catalogue of injuries which must have caused him unimaginable agony and distress.

"Throughout the trial Ikram and Parveen cynically maintained their innocence, both knowing that their actions had cost the life of a vulnerable 16-month-old toddler," he said.

"Abid Ikram and Sumaira Parveen have been brought to justice for the death of a child without the individual who actually inflicted the fatal act being identified.

"The circumstances of this case are the exact reasons why this legislation was created. This is one of the first convictions since this legislation was brought in."

Ikram was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for causing or allowing Talha's death and to 12 months for perverting the course of justice.

Parveen, who fled to Pakistan while on police bail but was arrested when trying to re-enter the country in November 2006, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment and will be deported after she has served her sentence.

disgusting sentences if you ask me. 9 years and 12 months for killing a child is a ****ing disgrace. then again, this is the UK i'm referring to :cuss: pissed:

Only 9 years and 12 months..talk about a throw away baby :( :mad:
I just can't understand these people (not that I would want to). If you don't want the kid that's fine..there are plenty of places to turn! I don't know about the UK but here in the US you can drop the baby off at a local fire house or police station and they can help take it from there.

People who could harm/kill anyone is a monster but someone who could harm or kill a baby..has no soul.

I will say this though -most people who are in prison for killing a child are usually killed quickly themselves.-

Only 9 years and 12 months..talk about a throw away baby :( :mad:
I just can't understand these people (not that I would want to). If you don't want the kid that's fine..there are plenty of places to turn! I don't know about the UK but here in the US you can drop the baby off at a local fire house or police station -no questions asked- and they take it from there.
People who could harm/kill anyone is a monster but someone who could harm or kill a baby..has no soul.

I will say this though -most people who are in prison for killing a child are usually killed quickly themselves.-

usually, i'd never condone violence but people like them should get their just desserts in jail. and i apologise, the guy will be serving 9 years and 12 months whilst his wife gets 9 years. should've made that clear. sorry about that

sickening

Only 9 years and 12 months.

Apparently, the judge isn't very good at math ;)

I will say this though -most people who are in prison for killing a child are usually killed quickly themselves.-

Where did you hear that? I thought sex offenders and child killers were kept away from the general prison population.

I think the penalty for killing a child should be no less than death.

how stupid are people? HUHH... 9 years and 12 months...ARE YOU JOKING?

YOU MEAN 10 YEARS, RIGHT...

i realize the last one might not have been a full month but...

WOW..

how stupid are people? HUHH... 9 years and 12 months...ARE YOU JOKING?

YOU MEAN 10 YEARS, RIGHT...

i realize the last one might not have been a full month but...

WOW..

wish it was a joke but that's the british justice system for you i'm afraid

Apparently, the judge isn't very good at math ;)
Apparently. Then again he sentenced a killer to only 10 years...guess there's a lot of things he's not to good at.



Where did you hear that? I thought sex offenders and child killers were kept away from the general prison population.

Inmates still find and have plenty of ways to reach them.

Apparently. Then again he sentenced a killer to only 10 years...guess there's a lot of things he's not to good at.:lol:
So very well put!

:lol:
So very well put!
amen. sounds like he's a n00b to the justice system.

Like Pakistan wants that bitch back....just throw her out of a plane. Oops...door malfunction....she was just sucked out.

Apparently, the judge isn't very good at math ;)
I was just about to say something about that, haha.

*bump*

Hi, I've been googling this case and wondered if I could draw your attention to my website please - I am trying to campaign for these 2 'people' to recieve longer sentences for this crime and would be very grateful for any support. I have a guestbook that I intend to print off and take to No.10 when I have enough support written there.

http://uk.geocities.com/justiceforbabytalha/

Thank you in advance
best wishes
B

:mad:

*bump*

Hi, I've been googling this case and wondered if I could draw your attention to my website please - I am trying to campaign for these 2 'people' to recieve longer sentences for this crime and would be very grateful for any support. I have a guestbook that I intend to print off and take to No.10 when I have enough support written there.

http://uk.geocities.com/justiceforbabytalha/

Thank you in advance
best wishes
B
I signed your guestbook and will find others to as well. I'm not in the UK but I will do anything I can to help get justice done for that little one. What a gorgeous baby :( :mad:

*bump*

Hi, I've been googling this case and wondered if I could draw your attention to my website please - I am trying to campaign for these 2 'people' to recieve longer sentences for this crime and would be very grateful for any support. I have a guestbook that I intend to print off and take to No.10 when I have enough support written there.

http://uk.geocities.com/justiceforbabytalha/

Thank you in advance
best wishes
B

just signed it. hope the campaign goes well and merry xmas. :)

Thank You so much. Merry Christmas to you!

I feel very strongly about this. I was just so upset and shocked when I first heard about this case that I can't seem to let it go and don't intend to until I've brought it to the attention of the people in power (i.e the politicians) and make them do something about it.

9 years is nothing! they could be out in 4 or 5 years - that's not enough.

I really really appreciate your help - thank you so so much.

Actually since I'm here it would be nice to join in on some of the 'on-topic' threads too! Once I find some time! My son will be 1 year old on Boxing day so I have my hands quite full at the moment!


*Edit - sorry to bother you again, but I'm wondering if anybody could help me with the wording of the petition? I have just this minute created an online petition and want to say something along the lines of :

'We the undersigned think that this jail sentence in inadequate and would like to demand that the persons involved have their jail term increased to 'Life Without Parole'
But I want it to sound professional and I'm not quite sure how to phrase it so that the politicians (when I take it to Downing Street) will take me seriously?

All advice welcome!

Thank You again and I'm wishing you all a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!

XXX :)

:mad: :angryfire ticked:

I should point that they did not actually inflict the injuries, someone else
did. They just let it happen.

I should point that they did not actually inflict the injuries, someone else
did. They just let it happen.

well, if that's the case, then they are still guilty because it implies that they just stood there and did nothing to prevent the abuse, and so by not doing anything to stop it particularly as they were there on scene, means they are assisting in the mistreatment of the child still, surely?

I should point that they did not actually inflict the injuries, someone else
did. They just let it happen.

Well it was established beyond reasonable doubt that it was either the step-mother or the father who inflicted the fatal injury but they refused to say which of them it was.

From what I've read on the case it seems obvious that it was the step-mother who instigated most (if not all) of the abuse and as such I believe that she should have been charged with the babys death.

Talha's father (Abid Ikram) should have been charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive (he sent his girlfriend (Sumaira Parveen) home to Pakistan in an attempt to evade justice) and wilful neglect (in that he allowed her to abuse his son) also witholding evidence as he wouldn't tell the police which one of them had broken the childs leg (which was the fatal injury).

Failing that, I firmly believe that in this situation (where a person is killed and the court knows that it was one of two people but neither of them will co-oporate to admit which one it actually was) then BOTH of them should be convicted of the murder or manslaughter. I'm only talking about this specific situation, (which sadly is not uncommon) not about crime in general.

I'm sure that sounds harsh but if turning a blind eye to a crime would cause the person to be convicted of that same crime then they might be a bit more inclined to report or prevent it. Just my opinion.

Unfortunately, if the laws in the U.K. are anything like they are in Canada, I really don't think you'll ever see them get life without parole without ever knowing the exact truth (hopefully DNA will show up?) in their deaths. I fully agree it's horrible and plan on signing your petition and getting the word out via my personal email address book (I'll copy your link), however, in your wording, would it be more saleable to politicans if you were to ask for a more reasonable sentence. Definitely longer though, but it could be only 25 years. Unfortunately, only the ones who were directly responsible can pay with their lives (meaning either death sentence or just life sentence).

Also, I'm wondering if Irene (Ireneparalegal) could possibly help you with any "fancy" terminology - she's SO's resident paralegal gal.

Good luck in your quest - sometimes it takes only one person to make a difference and it's having the balls to start it. I admire that. ;)

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

in your wording, would it be more saleable to politicans if you were to ask for a more reasonable sentence. Definitely longer though, but it could be only 25 years.

Thank You. Yes, the wording was terrible I know. I couldn't think how to write it but there was a link that said I could change the wording at any time so I just typed in anything so that I could get the petition up and running and return to the wording of the heading later when I had got some advice from someone on how to write it.

I haven't actually got going with this yet. I've set up the website and the petition and I've asked a few of my friends and family to sign the guestbook or petition but I was planning to print off a load of leaflets and stand in the City Centre handing them out too, and of writing to our local newspaper.

I did actually ask some advice on how to word a petition and subsequently changed the wording of the head of the petition but I'm still wanting to improve it. It really isn't quite right yet. The guy who helped me write it was really nice to take the time, and it's better than it was but it still doesn't say exactly what I wanted to say. Plus I want it to easily understandable to people (like myself) who don't know anything about politics or legal issues.

All I really want to do is to ask that the couple who killed this baby be given longer jail-terms and that the law should be changed so that when a baby or child (for example) is murdered by either the mother or the father then one of them must be charged with murder. It's just not enough to say that, 'yes, we know it was one of you, but since neither of you will admit which one it was then we're going to have to let you both go (relatively) free'.

I mean that loophole is on the side of the abuser because they know that :

If they won't tell you which of them did it then you can't punish either of them.

What if it was that:

If they won't tell you which of them did it then you will punish both of them?

I don't mean for crime generally, I mean for this specific type of crime where a child is murdered and BOTH parents get away with it because neither of them will admit which one struck the fatal blow.

Thanks again for your help
XXX