Source: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) published on this website Thursday 17 March 2025 by Jill Powell

A couple have been convicted of manslaughter after their newborn baby died while they lived in a tent in freezing conditions to evade social services.

Constance Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 50, have been found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of their baby girl, Victoria, who was found decomposing in a shopping bag in a disused Brighton shed.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) sought a re-trial at the Old Bailey after a jury in 2024 could not reach a verdict on whether the pair were guilty of manslaughter.

To prove Marten and Gordon’s guilt beyond doubt, the CPS used fresh evidence from prosecution experts to explain the conditions and extreme high-risk baby Victoria was exposed to by her parents. This included analysis of the weather data at the time, with temperatures close to freezing, and the effect of wind and wet clothing.

Armed with this additional evidence, prosecutors were able to show the jury how a combination of condensation in the tent and damp clothing and sleeping bags would have exposed baby Victoria to substantial climatic cold stress, leading to a high risk of hypothermia.

Marten and Gordon had already been found guilty of concealing the birth of a child, cruelty to a child and perverting the course of justice following a three-month trial last year.

Samantha Yelland, Crown Prosecution Service London Senior Crown Prosecutor, said:

“It is shocking that parents could subject their newborn baby to such obvious risks and today a jury has convicted Constance Marten and Mark Gordon for their crimes – after the prosecution brought fresh evidence to prove their guilt.

“Their reckless actions were driven by a selfish desire to keep their baby no matter the cost – resulting in her tragic death.

“These defendants did everything they could to evade the authorities – from avoiding the use of their bank cards to the point that they were starving, ditching their phones to avoid being traced and travelling hundreds of miles daily from place to place to dodge the police.

“The prosecution case included CCTV evidence, witness testimony of the couples’ whereabouts together with a combination of pathological and medical evidence which showed the extent of their neglect.”

The couple had been in a relationship together since 2016 and went on the run when Marten was heavily pregnant with their fifth child in late December 2022. Authorities had previously taken four of their children into care following concerns for the wellbeing of each child, which included previous warnings about wholly unsuitable living conditions for a baby in a tent.

Marten secretly gave birth and police were first alerted to the existence of a baby when a placenta was found wrapped in a towel in a car seen burning on the M61 motorway near Greater Manchester on 5 January 2023. The couple fled the scene, and a national media appeal was launched to find them and the baby.

An investigation into their movements found that the pair had taken numerous taxis around the country and loitered around different ports in a bid to get out of the UK.

They later made their way to East Sussex and settled in the South Downs National Park with few possessions or food in freezing conditions with the newborn baby from 8 January 2023 onward.

It is not known exactly when the baby was born, or when she died. It is believed the newborn was alive for some weeks and was forced to endure the cold outdoor conditions.

At no stage did Marten or Gordon seek help for themselves or their baby.

When spotted by witnesses and on CCTV footage, the baby was seen only in a baby grow and without adequate winter clothing for the cold outdoors. The infant was not wearing any socks, a hat or even a blanket.

Marten and Gordon were arrested in Brighton on 27 February 2023 having been sleeping rough for nearly two months. They did not answer any questions about their baby until its body was found two days later.

Source: Department for Education published on this website Wednesday 16 July 2025 by Jill Powell

Children and young people will be better protected from the scourge of misogynism, deepfake porn and unhealthy attitudes to consent, power and control through new Relationships, Sex and Health Education guidance for schools being published Tuesday 15 July. 

The statutory guidance has a new focus on helping boys identify positive role models, and challenge myths about women and relationships that are spread online in the ‘manosphere’ - without stigmatising boys for being boys. 

Secondary schools will also now include lessons on incel culture, including how a piece of content online can impact a person’s understanding of sexual ethics and behaviour, as well as increasing awareness of AI, deepfakes and how pornography links to misogyny.  

It comes as new data published today shows misogynistic attitudes have reached epidemic scale by the end of secondary school. When asked to think about just the past week, over a third (37%) of pupils aged 11-19 had heard comments that made them concerned about the safety of girls, and over half (54%) said they had witnessed comments they would describe as misogynistic.  

Other additions to the curriculum include spiking and methanol poisoning, increased focus on resilience and coping, a strengthened health syllabus so children are equipped with necessary knowledge on women’s health such as endometriosis and fertility.

The guidance builds on the government’s commitment to give every school child access to a mental health professional, delivering on the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, and comes ahead of the Violence Against Women and Girls strategy due to be published in the autumn.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said: 

“Before I was elected to Parliament, I managed a refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence, so I have seen first-hand the devastating impact when we don’t foster healthy attitudes from the youngest age. 

“I want our children to be equipped to defy the malign forces that exist online. Schools and parents alike have a vital role to play, helping children identify positive role models and resist the manipulation too often used online to groom impressionable young minds.

“Whether it’s helping deliver on our Plan for Change mission to halve violence against women and girls or growing a more just and equal society, there can be no more basic mission for a government then making sure our children grow up to become decent, respectful adults, prepared for the modern world.”

Children will start to build positive attitudes to relationships between friends and family in primary school, followed by new dedicated content in secondary school that helps boys identify positive male role models, and all children to expect consent and kindness when they get ready for more intimate relationships. 

Additional new content for secondary schools includes: 

• Sexual ethics beyond consent, for example teaching young people that yes doesn’t always mean yes as factors like peer pressure should be taken into account 
• Staying safe in public spaces, to match staying safe online, so young people know how to increase their personal safety in public spaces, build confidence in trusting their instincts and learn ways to seek help 
• Financial exploitation 
• Positive conceptions of femininity and masculinity  

A strong new emphasis on age-appropriate and sequenced teaching, differentiated between primary and secondary school, will mean children don’t get taught things they are too young for, without proscribing specific ages to each individual topic.

The clear dividing line between what can be taught in primary and secondary school remains unchanged.

This will allow teachers to sensitively respond to topics that children might have seen online or heard from their friends – making sure children are kept safe and parents are informed. 

Research shows over one in five (22%) of girls aged 7 to 10 had seen ‘rude images online’, and the average age for exposure to pornography is 13. This is also an issue the sector has regularly raised concerns about, with 3 out of 4 teachers surveyed worrying about the influence of online misogyny over their pupils. 

That’s why, starting in early 2026, schools will be able to apply for an RSHE training grant, empowering the workforce to take on these challenges.  

Oak National Academy, the publicly-funded provider of curriculum and teaching resources for schools, has released a set of online safety lessons reflecting this part of the guidance that will warn teenagers of the dangers of incel ideology and other forms of misogyny they encounter on the internet. 

Source: HM Treasury published on this web site Monday 14 July 2025 by Jill Powell

Struggling and vulnerable families and children are to be given a better start in life after a new government fund was announced today (Monday 14 July), which will provide them with the support and funding needed to access a better education, a safe home, and the caring supportive environment they need to flourish.

The Better Futures Fund will support up to 200,000 children and their families over the next ten years by bringing together government, local communities, charities, social enterprises, investors, and philanthropists to work together to give children a brighter future.

It could fund providing support in schools to improve attendance, behaviour and overall achievement of pupils, intervening to free children from a life of crime, and offering employment support to secure their futures.

The fund, which is the largest of its kind in the world, will be launched by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves at a visit to a school today in Wigan, hosted by the charity AllChild. It could fund providing support in schools to improve attendance and behaviour, intervening to free children from a life of crime, and offering employment support to secure their futures.

By investing in early support to tackle challenges like school absence, addiction and re-offending, the fund will help give children the stability and opportunity they need to thrive – delivering on a key part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change to give every child the best start in life.

It comes ahead of the government hosting the first Civil Society Summit this week, where the government will set out a comprehensive plan on how this government will partner with experts from outside the traditional corridors of power to create solutions that work for real people – all through the principles of fairness, collaboration and trust.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: 

“I got into politics to help children facing the toughest challenges. This fund will give hundreds of thousands of children, young people and their families a better chance. For too long, these children have been overlooked. Our Plan for Change will break down barriers to opportunity and give them the best start in life.”

Social Outcomes Partnerships have already been used with success across the UK, with over 180 commissioners using the model across the country. The Greater Manchester Better Outcomes Partnership (GMBOP), for example, works with young adults in the Greater Manchester area who are at risk of homelessness.

AllChild’s projects have already halved persistent school absences, and 80% of children have improved emotional wellbeing. Other programmes like the Skill Mill offer paid work experience and qualifications, reducing reconviction rates from 63% typically to 8% and three quarters of those in the programme progress to further employment, education or training.

This fund is a big step in the government’s work with the impact economy - unlocking extra resources from philanthropy, social investors and businesses to tackle urgent social challenges. Today’s announcement comes as the government’s Child Poverty Strategy is to be published in autumn to ensure it delivers fully funded measures that tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty across the UK.

The launch is backed today by groups including Save the Children UK, The King’s Trust and Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government.

Today’s announcement is informed by consultation with the Social Impact Investment Advisory Group and other representatives from civil society, purpose-driven business, and local government. Over the coming months Government will build on this and develop a strategic approach to working with the impact economy, who have long played an important role across the UK economy in unlocking innovation, driving inclusive growth and strengthening community resilience.

Further details on the fund will be set out in due course. It will be delivered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.