Late last month, Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were found guilty of manslaughter for the prolonged neglect of their newborn daughter, Victoria. The pair had avoided capture for more than seven weeks after giving birth to Victoria in December 2022. Afraid that their fifth child would be put into state care like the first four children, they tried to move off-grid.
The couple’s disappearance began shortly after Victoria’s birth. Instead of seeking help from officials, they ran away. They indeed managed to stay under the police radar while spending hundreds of dollars in cab fare. Though they were successful in hiding from authorities, they didn’t take the precautions to provide proper clothing or treatment for a newborn.
When their vehicle unexpectedly caught fire on January 5, 2023 near Bolton, Lancashire, the family’s care came into question. Law enforcement discovered a placenta and Marten’s fire-damaged passport in the charred vehicle. This accidental discovery was a cause for alarm, not just for the health of the family. After this chase, the couple was still able to remain on the run until they were tracked down to the outskirts of Brighton.
Prosecutors painted a tragic picture of how Victoria died. They ruled the unmapped infant death as likely due to hypothermia. Either way, this exposure happened while living in a tent or perhaps because of smothering during co-sleeping with her parents. Marten and Gordon alleged that Victoria passed away on January 9th. Read more about how their failure to report her death has created suspicion that they’re covering up evidence.
“That is a cold hard fact in this case. What happens thereafter is not accidental, it all follows from their total lack of parenting skills and abilities, total lack of clothing that there was to keep the baby safe and that is why they appear before you in a dock at the central criminal court. This case is about the duty that they owed to the baby which they plainly breached.” – Tom Little KC
The jury heard testimony from witnesses who spotted both Marten and Gordon in mid- to late-January. Over that period, they experienced the distressing shock of hearing a baby crying. This contradicts the couple’s assertion regarding the timeline of Victoria’s death. Prosecutors argued that the couple’s actions demonstrated a clear disregard for their child’s safety.
“Ultimately, when you stand back and you consider what [Marten] says… about where the baby was sleeping, it was simply too cold, she could not maintain her temperature and death was inevitable.” – Tom Little KC
The heartbreaking sequence of events came to a tragic conclusion when police found Victoria’s body. It was discovered in horrendous circumstances wrapped in garbage and dirt in a shopping bag in an abandoned hut. Seeing the video footage only added to the outrage, as it highlighted the couple’s shameful disregard.
In court, Marten said she felt guilty about her daughter’s death. She stated, “I just knew she wasn’t alive and I felt responsible because I was holding her so my assumption was that I had fallen asleep on her.”
Those shortcomings notwithstanding, the jury was right to find Marten and Gordon guilty of manslaughter. They rightfully held the parents responsible for their role in their child’s death. Prosecutors argued that their misconduct made a tragedy unavoidable.
“That is a cold hard fact in this case. What happens thereafter is not accidental.” – Tom Little KC
This case has raised important issues related to the scope of parental accountability. It frontloads the welfare of children in families who decide to live outside the margins of society. Authorities are still stressing the need to look for support in your hour of need instead of turning to social withdrawal.