500 signatures reached
To: Caroline Dinenage MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women, Equality and Family Justice
Justice for Ellie Butler
A full inquiry into the circumstances behind Ellie Butler being returned to her abusive parents by Mrs Justice Hogg.
Why is this important?
*STORY BURIED BY BREXIT* Last week before the referendum vote, many of you would have been hearing about this case. Ellie Butler was removed from loving, caring grandparents who had brought her up "as their own", and handed over to her abusive parents, who terrorised and abused her emotionally and physically until she was murdered at the age of 6. Despite Ellie herself reportedly pleading with social workers not to go back to her 'parents', she was sent back to live with them by two independent, private and profit-making social workers (Services4Children), under the guidance of a judge, Mrs Justice Hogg.
In what has been described as a very unusual case, the order given by the judge effectively 'wiped the slate clean' for Ellie's Father, Ben Butler, who had previously been jailed for shaking her as a baby. This meant that professionals, including school staff and local authority social services, were unable to protect Ellie from terrible abuse, due of the special order of this judge.
To imagine what Ellie went through is horrifying. To be taken from her grandparents and her loving home despite pleading otherwise, and sent to these monsters: this girl was failed by the adults who were supposed to keep her safe.
Ellie's grandad Neal spent his life savings fighting to prevent Ellie being sent back to her parents. Very sadly, his wife (Ellie's grandmother) died on the first day of Ben Butler's trial for murder. He had previously said that Mrs Justice Hogg would have "blood on her hands" if Ellie was returned.
After Ellie's parents were convicted, Ellie's Grandad continued to advocate for his beloved granddaughter on TV and in the press, determined to let people know the truth about what had happened. He is desperate for a public enquiry, and to ensure that this can never happen again to another child.
The Brexit vote has swamped the news; please don't let Ellie and her grandparents down by forgetting about them.
In what has been described as a very unusual case, the order given by the judge effectively 'wiped the slate clean' for Ellie's Father, Ben Butler, who had previously been jailed for shaking her as a baby. This meant that professionals, including school staff and local authority social services, were unable to protect Ellie from terrible abuse, due of the special order of this judge.
To imagine what Ellie went through is horrifying. To be taken from her grandparents and her loving home despite pleading otherwise, and sent to these monsters: this girl was failed by the adults who were supposed to keep her safe.
Ellie's grandad Neal spent his life savings fighting to prevent Ellie being sent back to her parents. Very sadly, his wife (Ellie's grandmother) died on the first day of Ben Butler's trial for murder. He had previously said that Mrs Justice Hogg would have "blood on her hands" if Ellie was returned.
After Ellie's parents were convicted, Ellie's Grandad continued to advocate for his beloved granddaughter on TV and in the press, determined to let people know the truth about what had happened. He is desperate for a public enquiry, and to ensure that this can never happen again to another child.
The Brexit vote has swamped the news; please don't let Ellie and her grandparents down by forgetting about them.
