Baby P mother anonymity concerns

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MPs have raised concerns over suggestions that lawyers for the mother of Baby P will use human rights laws to protect her identity forever.

Tory MP Andrew Rosindell said the public would disapprove of taxpayers' money spent on a person "when they have committed such an evil crime".

Child killers in the past including Mary Bell and the murderers of toddler James Bulger were given new identities.

The 27-year-old mother of Baby P was convicted of causing the baby's death.

The Daily Mail suggests that widespread public anger sparked by the case may put her life at risk.

Baby P died in August 2007 after suffering sustained abuse in Haringey, London, where the toddler was on the council's at-risk child protection register.

Any suggestion that we should already be planning for release or expenditure is not something that anybody should be considering at this time Andrew Rosindell, Shadow Minister, Home Affairs

The mother along with her boyfriend and lodger were convicted of involvement in his death and are to be sentenced on 15 December.

Because of legal restrictions, only the lodger - Jason Owen - can be named.

'Not imminent'

Mr Rosindell, shadow minister for home affairs, said that the question of whether the name and whereabouts of the mother of Baby P would be kept out of the public domain was a "big problem".

"There is likely to be permanent hatred towards those people who are guilty of the baby's murder," he said.

"For that reason I would imagine, based on past precedent, that the authorities would consider some sort of protection or fresh identity for that person."

But he added that the matter did not have to be considered immediately regarding the lengthy jail sentence the baby's mother was likely to serve.

He also drew on the possibility that she may never be released as was the case of Myra Hindley, who died in prison after being convicted of killing children in 1966.

"Any suggestion that we should already be planning for release or re-accommodation and expenditure is not something that anybody should be considering at this time," he said.

Colleague Philip Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley, told the Daily Mail: "I personally find it rather offensive that the taxpayer may end up picking up a huge bill to protect this woman's human rights, given the complete disregard she showed for the human rights of her baby."

But the Ministry of Justice played down claims that her solicitors were drawing up plans to seek an anonymity order from the High Court as "pure speculation".

A spokesman said: "She's not even been sentenced yet and something like this usually comes towards the end of a person's sentence. It's not something that is imminent."