Couple jailed for 30 years over death of boy (4) in England

A couple who left a four-year-old boy alone to die after subjecting him to months of “unprecedented” starvation and horrifying cruelty have both been jailed for at least 30 years.

Magdelena Luczak and Mariusz Krezolek listened intently in the dock but showed no sign of emotion as Mrs Justice Cox condemned their "unfathomable" campaign of brutality against Daniel Pelka.

Daniel's mother and stepfather, both originally from Poland, were unanimously convicted of murder on Wednesday after blaming each other for the head injury which ultimately caused his death.

A nine-week trial heard that Daniel, whose death is the subject of a serious case review by Coventry’s Safeguarding Children Board, weighed just 1 stone 9lbs when he died in March last year.

During his final months, Daniel was denied food, forced to perform energy-sapping punishment exercises, confined in a locked box room, poisoned with salt, and subjected to water torture.

The serious case review is investigating whether more could have been done to save Daniel, who was seen scavenging for food in bins at Coventry's Little Heath Primary School.

The youngster, whose mother covered up the abuse by claiming he had an eating disorder, was also the subject of a social services inquiry after suffering a broken arm in January 2011.

Krezolek, 34, and Luczak, 27, were both jailed for life and ordered to serve minimum terms of 30 years before the Parole Board can even consider their release.

In her sentencing remarks, Mrs Justice Cox said she believed Krezolek had deliberately broken Daniel’s arm in January 2011 and inflicted his fatal head injury 14 months later.

The judge told Luczak and Krezolek: “Both of you constructed a careful and wholly untruthful account that Daniel had a serious eating disorder and learning difficulties, which he may have inherited and for which he was receiving medical treatment.

“This account was deliberately designed to prevent interference by school, medical and welfare personnel, and to perpetuate the brutality being meted out to him.

“Both of you are in breach of what is probably the most important position of trust, as the parents of a small child who was entitled to their protection, their love and their care.”

During the 30-hour period in which Daniel lay dying, Luczak and Krezolek chose not to call an ambulance, instead opting to carry on with their normal lives.

The medical evidence given during the case, the judge said, showed that Daniel’s emaciation was regarded by experts as “unprecedented” in Britain.

The judge continued: “They likened his appearance to those who failed to survive concentration camps, and that comparison was not made lightly.”

PA