Steven Barker, the stepfather of Baby P, is making a fresh bid for freedom and could be released from prison within months, the Mirror can exclusively reveal. Barker, 48, has been referred to the Parole Board for consideration for release for the sixth time, just weeks after what would have been the tragic toddler's 20th birthday.
Parole Board officials made the referral in recent days and will now analyse his case. Experts will assess his progress in prison, speak to officials and individuals he has been in contact with. They could decide to release him, hold a hearing for further checks, or rule to keep him incarcerated if they deem him too dangerous.
Barker was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2009 for causing or allowing the death of 17-month-old Peter Connelly in Tottenham, north London, in 2007. At the time of his death, Peter had suffered a broken back and ribs, and his fingernails had been torn out. Barker also received a life sentence with a minimum term of 10 years after being convicted of raping a two-year-old in a separate trial. The case remains one of the most shocking in recent British criminal history and is considered a watershed moment in child cruelty cases, as social services had frequent contact with the family before Peter's death.
A source said: "This referral has only just been submitted and will be scrutinised extremely carefully. Baby P's death shocked the nation. It was a horrific case. The idea that Barker is being considered for parole again and could be released is disturbing."
Barker was denied parole two years ago after it was found he continued to deny the rape and causing harm to Peter. He has not participated in any courses that might reduce his risk of violent and sexual reoffending, and the Parole Board noted he was "ambivalent" about treatment.
A spokesperson for the Parole Board stated: "We can confirm that the parole review of Steven Barker has been referred to the Parole Board by the Secretary of State for Justice and is following standard processes. Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community. A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, evidence of behaviour change, and the impact on victims. Evidence from witnesses such as probation officers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and prison officials may be given at the hearing. Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority."
Meanwhile, Barker's ex-partner and Peter's mother, Tracey Connelly, 44, is set to reignite her own freedom bid. She launched a fresh effort to be released in October last year, but the case was adjourned as Parole Board chiefs reviewed evidence of her conduct in jail. After nearly five months, officials will reconvene later this month for a two-day hearing, both in public and private, to determine if Connelly still poses a risk to the public.
Last year, Connelly admitted she refused to accept that Barker was abusing Peter before his death. She said she was blinded by love and "wanted a Prince Charming." Appearing before a Parole Board panel, she gave her first public account of Peter's death, more than 18 years after he died from a catalogue of injuries. She admitted: "I was a bad mother. I failed to protect them. I put my needs first." Connelly was jailed for at least five years in 2009 for causing or allowing Peter's death.
She was released in 2013 but recalled in 2015 after selling nude pictures online. Freed again in 2022, she was recalled in August 2024 after a secret 12-month online relationship with a man. She said she hid her past from him and met him for sex, cinema, and food. When the relationship was exposed, she was returned to prison for failing to inform probation services. Breaking down in tears, she said: "I hate my past, I have to live with it."
A two-day hearing is scheduled for May 20 and 21, where panel members will continue to assess Connelly's risk and decide whether to release her or recommend transfer to open prison conditions.
