Latest news with #JohnMeehan
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘It's life and death': parents of baby killed at nursery call for for mandatory CCTV
The weekend before Genevieve Meehan died was one of the best of her short life. The nine-month-old with the beaming smile and emerald eyes was leaping through her milestones: she had taken her first tentative steps, hands clasped to her mother's, and said her first word: 'Dadda'. She tried on sunglasses and a swimsuit for their first family holiday two months later. The following morning, Genevieve's mother, Katie Wheeler, took her to Tiny Toes nursery for only her second full day. Wheeler told staff that Gigi, as she was known, had been a bit 'snotty' but was otherwise fine. And with a goodbye, she said: 'I love you, sweetie.' Just over seven hours later, Genevieve was pronounced dead. In what was supposed to be the safest place in the world, she had been strapped face down to a beanbag for an hour and 37 minutes and her cries of distress ignored. She was eventually found lifeless and blue, having died of suffocation. Kate Roughley, the deputy manager of the nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, was last year found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for 14 years after a trial at Manchester crown court. But the fight for justice continues. In their first national newspaper interview, Genevieve's parents said they had been left distressed and shocked by what they had learned since – about the practices of that nursery but also wider 'systemic' safety lapses they believed risked further tragedies in early years settings across the country. John Meehan, Genevieve's father, said his daughter's killer would not have been convicted without CCTV footage, which they are now campaigning to be made mandatory in nurseries. Video played in court showed Roughley impatiently handling the baby girl before she died, muttering: 'Vile' and singing: 'Oh Genevieve. Genevieve go home, Genevieve go home, go home Genevieve,' as the she cried on the play mat. The CCTV also disproved the nursery worker's claim that she had checked on Genevieve every couple of minutes. And it later led to the conviction of one of Roughley's colleagues, Rebecca Gregory, for the 'deplorable' neglect of four other babies. An ongoing health and safety inquiry could result in further prosecutions. 'But for the CCTV, we would have had absolutely no way of knowing about the way Genevieve was placed on a beanbag, about the infrequency of the checks, or about the general conduct towards Genevieve on the day. We really only got an answer because of the CCTV,' said Meehan, 39. This week, Roksana Lecka, 22, was convicted of abusing 21 babies at a nursery in Twickenham, south-west London, after footage showed the worker pinching and scratching children and kicking one boy in the face. In that case, as Genevieve's, CCTV was essential to the prosecution. Meehan said: 'Many responsible nurseries are already using CCTV very effectively, so all we're saying is to make it so that all nurseries have it. It's good for the nursery, it's good for the parents, it's good for Ofsted.' Figures obtained by the BBC last year, and described by the couple as 'horrifying', show there were almost 20,000 reports of serious childcare incidents in England's nurseries in the five years to March 2024 – up 40% on the previous five-year period. The law firm Farleys Solicitors has said the number of legal claims involving injuries to children in nurseries had increased tenfold over the past decade. Wheeler, 40, said Ofsted should be given greater powers to undertake more frequent announced and unannounced inspections of nurseries. At present, the regulator is only obliged to inspect nurseries in England once every six years, compared with once every four academic years for schools. Tiny Toes nursery, where Genevieve was killed, was rated 'good' by Ofsted five years earlier but the trial heard evidence suggesting it was run 'shockingly'. On the day Genevieve died, Roughley was only one of two members of staff looking after 11 babies. The previous weekday there were 16 babies – far in excess of the one-to-three ratio for under-twos in England. 'I think the system definitely fails parents,' said Wheeler, who wants Ofsted to increase its number of unannounced inspections – which it only does currently when a specific concern has been raised – and review CCTV when it is available. 'You're never going to get a true snapshot of what a place is like and how safe it is unless you go out on a no-notice inspection and when you look at it regularly. A lot changes over six years. It's life and death – and it's not overstating it to say that.' Life without Genevieve is 'agonisingly painful,' Wheeler said, describing the nine-month-old who relished her world full of cuddles, singing, dancing, food, her favourite green toy tambourine and 'her everything': her big sister, who is now nine. The parents are planning to meet Labour's early education minister, Stephen Morgan, later this month to press for improved safety in nurseries, including CCTV, more Ofsted inspections and a new legal framework to ban unsafe sleep practices, supported by the Lullaby Trust. Failing to enact the changes, Meehan said, risked further tragedies: 'There could be more deaths. There is absolutely that risk.' The Department for Education said it was boosting safety in nurses with new measures from September strengthening whistleblowing and recruitment, but that it would closely monitor whether further changes were needed. It added: 'Genevieve's death was a tragedy and should never have happened. This government is committed to doing everything possible keep children safe, as part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.' Ofsted said it would be inappropriate to comment during ongoing investigations but that 'our thoughts remain with Genevieve's family and we are deeply sorry for their loss'.
The Sun
06-06-2025
- The Sun
My baby was strapped face down & suffocated to death by evil nursery manager – by the time they called me, she was dead
A HEARTBROKEN mum has broken her silence after her baby girl was strapped face down and suffocated to death by a vile nursery manager. Genevieve Meehan was found unresponsive and blue at Tiny Toes Nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, on May 9, 2022, after her cries were "simply ignored", a court heard. 6 6 6 The eight-month-old was rushed to hospital but couldn't be saved and died later that day. A year after the horrific incident, Genevieve's parents, John Meehan and Katie Wheeler, have spoken of their heartbreak after losing the "happiest little person" with an "infection" and "beautiful" laugh. Just days before she was tragically killed, she had said "dada" for the very first time and was starting to pull herself up to stand. Speaking to Manchester Evening News, they said: "She had a wonderful relationship with me and her dad, but her favourite person in the whole world is her big big sister." Dancing, playing with her toys and cuddling the family dog Beau, were among the tot's favourite things to do, they said. Meanwhile, trying new foods and playing on her favourite green tambourine are some the ways she will be remembered. The pair added: "She just was such a wonderful part of the family and she brought such joy to us all. "She loved being cuddled, she just wanted to be with you all the time.' Evil nursery manager Kate Roughley, 37, was last month convicted after a jury of six men and six women unanimously found her guilty of manslaughter at Manchester Crown Court. Sickeningly, the qualified nursery nurse "for some inexplicable reason appeared to have taken against Genevieve" in the days before the baby's death. Roughley's actions were said to be fuelled by an "illogical and disturbing hostility" towards the youngster which was revealed on CCTV footage from May 5 and 6. She was subjected to "rough handling" by Roughley, who called her "stress head" and on one occasion told her: "Genevieve go home. Do you have to be so loud and constant? Change the record." She was heard chillingly telling the tot to "stop your whinging". Prosecutor Peter Wright KC said: "Her hostility to Genevieve was, we say, as illogical as it was disturbing." Genevieve Meehan death timeline May 5 and 6, 2022 Roughley's actions were said to be fuelled by an "illogical and disturbing hostility" towards the youngster which was revealed on CCTV footage from May 5 and 6. She was subjected to "rough handling" by Roughley, who called her "stress head" and on one occasion told her: "Genevieve go home. Do you have to be so loud and constant? Change the record." May 9, 2022 1.35pm to 3.12pm - Genevieve was left virtually immobilised and face down for 97 minutes. The baby was strapped on her front by "means of a harness" on a bean bag rather than a cot or sleeping mat, before being found blue and unresponsive. She died the same day in hospital. May 20, 2024 A jury of six men and six women unanimously found Roughley guilty of manslaughter. May 22, 2024 Roughley is due to be sentenced. The court was told the baby was strapped on her front by "means of a harness" on a bean bag rather than a cot or sleeping mat. She was then "practically" covered from head to foot in a blanket that would have heightened her risk of overheating. Mr Wright said her sleeping position was an "obvious recipe for disaster" after she was left unable to breathe properly. He added: "Unsurprisingly, Genevieve was distressed by this treatment but her cries were ignored and she was left tightly swaddled, restrained and covered in this position." Genevieve was left virtually immobilised and face down between 1.35pm and 3.12pm. During this time, CCTV showed Roughley heading for a toilet break while telling a colleague: "Just ignore anyone if they start." Five minutes later, Genevieve moved her head side-to-side and raised her legs in a way "entirely consistent with an increasingly exhausted child desperately thrashing in order to survive". Tragically, jurors heard Roughley checked other children but not the baby, who "remained on the beanbag seemingly motionless". Her mum Katie Wheeler heartbreakingly revealed Genevieve's final hours before she was dropped off at the nursery by her parents. She said: "I had put suncream on her, which she found ticklish and funny. "When I dropped her off [at nursery] I said to her 'I love you, sweetie'. "[Genevieve's dad] John told me he watched her go in and she seemed happy and then I went home and went to work." While John told the court how he later received a phonecall from his wife saying their daughter had been found unresponsive. Genevieve's mum pays tribute in court In a moving statement, Genevieve's mum Katie Wheeler said: "I wish to make this statement to talk about and honour my beautiful daughter Genevieve. Gigi was not just a baby, she was a person with her likes and dislikes, her loves and her frustrations. She was a complete person. "Owing to her beautiful French name, she adopted a French persona in our house and was often voiced by me with a French accent. We used to joke it would be very strange when she started talking properly and would not actually speak French. "She spent lots of time playing on her toy mat and she was able to support herself while standing, and was also moving around on the floor with great determination and speed, babbling as she liked to and saying 'dada dada'." He was then told the baby was being taken to A&E at Stepping Hill Hospital. When he arrived, John could see doctors battling to save the stricken youngster. The dad added: "I remained in hospital as doctors tried to save her. I saw Katie and her mother leave the room. Doctors and nurses approached me and asked if I wanted to go with them. "I wanted to stay with Genevieve. I overheard the doctors having a conversation about stopping CPR. We were then told they were going to stop treatment and they could not save Genevieve." Roughley is a qualified nursery nurse and early years practitioner with 17 years of experience. At the time of Genevieve's death, she was the duty baby room leader and in charge of sleep arrangements. 6 6 6
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Parents of baby girl killed by callous nursery worker reveal moment of heartbreaking false hope she would be OK as they rushed to hospital - as they demand change in the law
The parents of a nine-month-old girl killed by a nursery worker have tragically revealed how they hoped she would be OK as they rushed to hospital to see her. Genevieve Meehan died after Kate Roughley strapped her face down on a bean bag for more than 90 minutes at Tiny Toes nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport. Roughley, who was jailed for 14 years in May 2024, tightly swaddled Genevieve before further restraining her with a harness then covering her with a blanket. The 37-year-old then failed to carry out adequate checks on the distressed child before discovering her unresponsive and blue on the afternoon of May 9, 2022. Roughley's colleagues and paramedics desperately tried to revive Genevieve but her condition was irreversible and she was pronounced dead in hospital later that day. Now, the girl's parents have revealed how they received a phone call to say nursery staff had 'gone to wake Genevieve up from her sleep, and she was limp and blue'. Recalling the horror of what happened next, her mother Katie Wheeler said: 'When we got to the hospital it was absolutely life-shattering, because I didn't know that she'd died by that point. It wasn't until trial that I realised that she had already died. 'When I was on the phone to the nursery, she was already dead, but I still thought that she'd be OK. I thought that they they'd be able to do something to help her.' Ms Wheeler was speaking alongside her partner John Meehan in a joint interview with ITV and Manchester Evening News, just over a year after Roughley was found guilty of manslaughter by ill-treatment and sentenced at Manchester Crown Court. The couple have now launched a campaign for better safety standards in early years settings, such as compulsory CCTV in nurseries and safe sleep training for workers. Describing Genevieve as a 'beautiful, wonderful, very special little person', solicitor Ms Wheeler added: 'It seems so impossible, and you're just so desperate. 'You think, 'I saw you this morning and you were absolutely fine. You're this living being that is so loved, it can't possibly happen'.' In May 2024, a jury unanimously found Roughley guilty after the prosecution said she 'persecuted' the youngster for occupying too much of her time. Genevieve died from asphyxiation brought on by a combination of pathophysiological stresses created by a 'very unsafe sleeping environment'. Roughley put Genevieve in 'mortal danger' because she was 'banished' to the bean bag for not sleeping long enough for her liking, the court heard at the time. Rebecca Gregory, 25, another worker at the same nursery, was jailed for three years after she verbally abused children in her care and threatened to kick one in the head Jurors were in tears at the start of the trial as they watched nursery CCTV footage of the baby room, which captured the tragedy unfolding as Genevieve was left 'virtually immobilised' from 1.35pm to 3.12pm. The defendant's case was that Genevieve's death was a 'terrible and unavoidable accident' after she claimed she placed her on her side, that she was 'not unduly restrained' and that she made regular visual checks. But, sentencing her, judge Mrs Justice Ellenbogen told Roughley: 'Her death was absolutely avoidable, the result of your unlawful acts on that day.' In September 2024, another worker at the same nursery was jailed for three years after she verbally abused children in her care and threatened to kick one in the head. Rebecca Gregory, 25, pleaded guilty to four counts of wilfully assaulting, ill-treating, neglecting, abandoning, or exposing a child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering. Police said she committed 'deplorable offences of neglect against four young children', with evidence against her unearthed during the investigation into Roughley.
BBC News
18-05-2025
- BBC News
Genevieve Meehan: Safety training call after baby's nursery death
The parents of a baby who was killed at a nursery are calling for mandatory safe sleep training to be introduced in all nurseries, among a raft of other safety Genevieve Meehan died from asphyxiation when she was tightly swaddled, strapped to a beanbag, and left unattended at the Tiny Toes nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, on 9 May worker Kate Roughley was later jailed for 14 years for manslaughter. Genevieve's parents, Katie Wheeler and John Meehan, have now launched a campaign to improve safety standards in early years settings, with extra training provided where necessary. The couple have previously described as "horrifying" figures obtained by the BBC that show there were almost 20,000 reports of serious childcare incidents in England's nurseries in the past five latest figures for serious incidents in the year 2023-24 are 40% higher than five years previously. Ms Wheeler said when police reviewed CCTV footage at the nursery following Genevieve's death they "discovered multiple examples of harm being caused to children over a short period of time".The family is now calling for:Compulsory CCTV in nursery settingsUnannounced inspections by Ofsted to be routine in early years settingsReview of CCTV footage during Ofsted inspectionsClear, statutory safe sleep guidance for early years settingsMandatory safe sleep training for all nursery staff and Ofsted inspectors andClear statutory guidance as to the use of sleep products in early years settingsThe family are calling for people to write to their local MPs to support their on their campaign website, Ms Wheeler said: "Like many other working parents, we enrolled Gigi at a nursery. We trusted that she would be kept safe. We never imagined that she would come to harm whilst in the care of trained professionals."The way in which Gigi was put down to sleep carried a high and obvious risk of death. Her death was entirely preventable. "Gigi is not the only child to die in a nursery in the last five years. It is incomprehensible that other families are suffering the same heartache that we are and we want to ensure that no child dies or comes to harm in a place where they are meant to be safe."Gigi deserved to live a long and fulfilling life but instead she has suffered and died in a way that no child or person ever should," Ms Wheeler said."The system failed Gigi and urgent reforms are needed." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
