COLD PUNISHMENT
WHEN: FEBRUARY 2021 WHERE: WORCESTERSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM
Around 2 pm on a chilly winter day in February 2021, Carla
Scott dialled 911 and reported that her nine-year-old son, Alfie, had “fallen asleep in the bath”. When police officers arrived at their residence in Worcestershire County, located in the West Midlands of England, they found the boy unresponsive in a cold bath with 50 injuries across his body.
Investigators discovered that Alfie’s mother and stepfather, Dirk Howell, had repeatedly assaulted, beaten, and subjected him to cold baths as part of a cruel and “sinister” punishment.
Prosecutors presented evidence of a pattern of excessive punishment by the mother and stepfather, including beatings with a belt and a slipper, resulting in Alfie being covered in bruises. Additionally, he was forced to stand both inside and outside the house, deprived of food, confined to his room, and repeatedly submerged in cold water with his head held under.
Neighbours had raised concerns about Alfie’s treatment with UK social services, but both parents lied when confronted to conceal their abuse. “At no stage has either of them shown any remorse or accepted responsibility for their actions,” stated Detective Chief Inspector Leighton Harding.
During the trial, the 35-year-old mother and her partner denied the accusations. She claimed she had neither beaten the schoolboy nor attempted to cover up the crime. However, after 10 hours of deliberation, the jury convicted the mother of manslaughter while acquitting her of murder charges. In contrast, Howell was found guilty of murder.