Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Police minister calls for full life sentences for killer parents

Policing minister Kit Malthouse has said he would like to see Arthur Labinjo-Hughes’s father and stepmother given whole-life sentences.

The horrific murder of little Arthur Labinjo-Hughes continues to be analysed by the government police following the sentencing of his step-mother and father.

Policing minister Kit Malthouse is among those who have called for the sentences handed to Emma Tustin and Thomas Hughes to be extended.

Tustin was found gully of murder and sentences to a minimum of 29 years. Hughes was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 21 years.

When asked if he would like to see these sentences extended on Times Radio, Mr Malthouse said: “Yes I would. I was surprised that they didn’t.”

Attorney General Suella Braverman QC is due to review the sentence.

A national review is also being held into the case with education secretary Nadhim Zahawi expected to make a statement to the House of Commons about the case today.

Arthur was seen by social workers just two months before his death but they concluded there were "no safeguarding concerns".

Sir Michael Wilshaw, former head of Ofsted, said new social workers need to have support from senior managers who should “pick up when things are going wrong”.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Often we’ve got young, inexperienced social workers just out of university, just out of training, going into these very difficult households with manipulative parents, such as the ones that Arthur had.

“And if the system is going to work, these young social workers need to be well-trained, but need to be supported by senior managers, not just the director of children’s services, but senior managers who need to pick up when things are going wrong, listen to what was happening in the case of Arthur, and hold an immediate review.

“And that obviously didn’t happen here in Solihull, and it’s not happening across the country. So the quality of oversight from senior managers is absolutely critical to the support for these children.”

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