Keanu Williams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doctors, social workers, police and nursery staff together failed to prevent the death of a two year old Keanu Williams who was beaten to death by his mother after months of horrendous cruelty.  In December 2010, Rebecca took Keanu to hospital with burned feet, which she claimed came from a radiator beside his bed. A month later, paramedics found Keanu dead after she and her boyfriend Luke Southerton had dialed 999, claiming Keanu had a heart attack. Keanu died in January 2011 after suffering 37 injuries, including bite marks, a fractured skull and a fist sized tear in his stomach at the hands of his mother Rebecca Shuttleworth. He was rushed to the Heartlands Hospital but had died from internal injuries. On the way to the hospital, paramedics had questioned Shuttleworth about the hours leading up to Keanu's death. She told them that he had been refusing to eat and had vomited earlier that day. He was hit repeatedly with a stick or rod over 48 hours and died of internal bleeding, a post-mortem examination found.

 

Southerton was convicted of cruelty after being cleared of murder, manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a child. For not helping and allowing Rebecca to beat Keanu to death, Luke was sentenced to nine months in prison, with nine months suspended. Shuttleworth was convicted of murder and four counts of child cruelty after a five-month trial.  She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 18 years.