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A review into the tragic death of baby Victoria, the daughter of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, has recommended that registered sex offenders should be required to notify police about new partners and disclose any pregnancies. The infant’s body was discovered inside a shopping bag in Brighton in 2023 after her parents concealed her birth and fled to evade social services. Both Marten and Gordon, who has a history as a convicted rapist, were sentenced to a minimum of 14 years in prison for gross negligence manslaughter.
Chaired by Sir David Holmes, the review examined the circumstances surrounding this “extreme case” with the goal of identifying missed opportunities for safeguarding Victoria and learning lessons to prevent similar tragedies. Documents from family court proceedings revealed that the couple repeatedly moved locations to avoid social service contact during Marten’s pregnancies, declined prenatal and newborn healthcare, and frequently failed to attend scheduled visits with their children after they had been taken into care. The report highlighted how the authorities should have expected the likelihood of further pregnancies, given the couple’s history of concealing previous ones.
The review emphasizes that no legal obligation currently exists for a woman to declare her pregnancy. It suggests that earlier intervention could have been possible if Gordon, due to his status as a registered sex offender, had been mandated to provide information about Marten’s pregnancy. Furthermore, the report calls for enhanced support for parents whose children enter care, noting that no single agency was responsible for assisting Marten and Gordon in coping with the loss and grief following multiple child removals. This lack of support may have contributed to the couple’s decision to hide the birth of Victoria, which the review suggests felt “subjectively ‘rational'” to them.
One significant challenge faced by authorities was the couple’s repeated relocations, reluctance to engage with social services, and the presence of domestic abuse along with Gordon’s criminal history. The review found that better coordination between agencies such as health and housing services could improve outcomes for high-risk families. Marten herself acknowledged the emotional toll of having children taken into care, describing visits at contact centers as “one of the most painful experiences for a parent to endure.” The report also highlighted the number of unborn babies and infants under child protection plans, urging clearer national safeguarding guidelines, specific protocols for concealed pregnancies, trauma-informed practices for non-engaging families, and enhanced information-sharing across regions
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