Justice Secretary Dominic Raab has criticised the Parole Board after it rejected his appeal against the decision to release Tracey Connelly, the mother of Baby P. Connelly, 40, was jailed indefinitely in 2009 for causing or allowing the death of her 17-month-old son, Peter, in Tottenham, north London, in 2007. She could be released within weeks after a judge upheld the original Parole Board decision.
Raab, who is also Lord Chancellor, described Connelly's actions as 'pure evil' and called for a 'fundamental overhaul' of the Parole Board, including a ministerial check for the most serious offenders. He tweeted that the decision to release her demonstrates why the board needs reform to 'serve and protect the public'.
The Parole Board had initially decided in March to release Connelly, citing that all professional witnesses supported her release and that she posed a low risk of reoffending. Connelly was previously released in 2013 but returned to prison two years later for breaching parole conditions. She was refused parole in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
In a statement, the board confirmed that a judge had ruled the original decision was not irrational, upholding it. Connelly's release will be subject to strict conditions, including living in designated accommodation and limitations on her contacts and movements.
Raab had argued that the board failed to consider all evidence, gave excessive weight to external controls, and provided insufficient reasons. However, the judge rejected these arguments. The power to seek reconsideration was introduced in 2019 after controversy over the release of black-cab rapist John Worboys.
