When I hear about this kind of thing happening my anger doesn't get focussed on the actual abusers so much as on the chickenshit and incompetent "professionals", who let the child down so horribly. And the politicians who cut back on resources, and on the voters who elect politicians who cut back on resources, and who are frightened of dipping their hands into their pockets to provide what is needed in the way of social services and proper training for the "professionals".

And that is said from the background of having worked for 20 years in a social work department.

As for the parents, my basic feeling is there is no punishment you could imagine which would be worse than actually being those people.