Toddler murdered by grandparents suffered 'neglect and cruelty beyond words'

A TODDLER who was murdered by his grandparents was failed by social services suffering "neglect and cruelty" which his aunt has said was "beyond words".

- RUTH MOSALSKI

Ethan Ives-Griffiths was just two when he died in August 2021 after suffering a catastrophic head injury at the home of his maternal grandparents in Wales.

The adults are now awaiting sentence having been found guilty of his murder and of cruelty to a child under 16.

His mother, Shannon Ives, was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child under 16.

Ethan was severely underweight and dehydrated and suffered 40 visible injuries to his body after he moved in with his grandparents in Kingsley Road, Garden City, Deeside, in June 2021.

During the trial, the prosecution said his time there was “thoroughly miserable and he was targeted by the defendants (Michael and Kerry) as an object of abuse and neglect.” He was “quiet and withdrawn, small and painfully thin”.

His aunt, Rebecca Shone, has started a petition, which has already had more than 34,000 signatures, calling for a new law to protect children like Ethan and other vulnerable children who need help.