Toddler goading sentences to stay

The women have been banned from working with children

The Attorney General has said the sentencing of four women who filmed two toddlers fighting will not be referred to the Court of Appeal.

The Plymouth women were all given 12-month suspended sentences last month after admitting child cruelty.

MP Mike Penning had requested the Attorney General look at the case.

The Attorney General said while the women's conduct "fully deserved" the condemnation it received, the judge was entitled to make the decision he did.

Public outrage

Zara Olver, 21, her 48-year-old mother Carole, and sisters Serenza Olver, 29, and Danielle Olver, 19, from the North Prospect area of the city, were convicted at Plymouth Crown Court in April.

A tape of them forcing two toddlers to hit each other was handed to social services by the children's father who was on leave from the army.

In the footage, a boy in a nappy was called a "wimp" for not hitting his sister back after she struck him and the four women were seen laughing as the children hit each other with brushes and magazines.

When he sentenced them, Judge Francis Gilbert said they posed no risk to the public.

He also banned them from working with children and ordered the women to do 100 hours of unpaid work.

The suspended sentences provoked public outrage, prompting Mr Penning to write to Lord Goldsmith.

'Sad' outcome

He asked the Attorney General to use his powers to appeal against what he claimed was the leniency of the sentence, saying if the case had involved a dog fight the women would have gone to prison.

The Attorney General's statement said the trial judge had considered the evidence "carefully" and reached a decision "that, in the Attorney's view, he was entitled to take in the exercise of his independent judgment.

It should serve as a lesson to other parents that under no circumstances should they imitate this behaviour Wes Cuell, NSPCC

"A decision whether or not to refer a case is made on legal grounds taking into account all the relevant information.

"Here, the Attorney General has concluded that the Court of Appeal would not now imprison the offenders if he were to refer this case."

Speaking on Friday Mr Penning said it was "sad" and he could not think of a case "more deserving" of a prison sentence.

NSPCC director of services for children and young people, Wes Cuell said: "The NSPCC believes sentences for offences against children should be appropriate to the crimes committed and the harm caused to the children taking account of all the circumstances.

"Whilst we recognise that cases like this are rare, it should serve as a lesson to other parents that under no circumstances should they imitate this behaviour."

The children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are being looked after by their paternal grandparents.