Friends and family members tried to warn Debbie Leitch's mother about her worsening condition, however, she wouldn't listen. Instead, she tried to cover her tracks, and continued neglecting her daughter until she was found in the worst condition imaginable. What are your thoughts on this case? Let's discuss in the comments. Go watch my other episodes on Spotify: The Disturbing Case of Stephanie ParzeShe Tried to Warn Them About her Son, Then he was MURDERED. THE CASE OF GUNNAR SCHUMACHER7 Year old’s Strange Death Reveals Mom’s DISGUSTING Secret: Did She Starve her for Attention?!Thank you guys for watching, hope to see you next time!
Chapter 1: What is the case of Debbie Leach about?
Today's case is yet another case that will leave you with a pit in your stomach and an utter disbelief seeing what some people are capable of. This monster of a woman took every step possible to ensure that her disabled, helpless daughter would live in the most horrendous, disgusting, vile living conditions possible.
She ignored her cries for help, she lied to everyone who expressed their concerns for her safety, and she tried to hide everything she was doing to her. This all culminated in the most disturbing, tragic end possible. Today, we are going to be discussing the tragic case of Debbie Leach. Debbie Leach was born to Elaine Clark and Thomas Leach.
Debbie was born with Down syndrome or trisomy 21, which is a genetic condition caused by having an extra copy of chromosome 21. In general, the physical attributes of someone with Down syndrome include a flat bridge of their nose, a shorter stature, smaller hands and fingers, and almond-shaped eyes.
Chapter 2: What disabilities did Debbie Leach have?
The other effects of Down syndrome are intellectual disability, developmental delays, hypermobility, and low muscle tone. They also can suffer from various health problems such as congenital heart defects, vision or hearing loss, ear infections, and sleep apnea. Now, I want to start this video right off the bat saying that in my job working in healthcare,
I work with many different children with Down syndrome and other disabilities. And let me tell you, Down syndrome is very much a spectrum. On one end of the spectrum, I've seen some kids who are nonverbal. They have a lot of difficulty toilet training. They're not very active, so they're very delayed with walking and other milestones.
Some are very much dependent on their caregivers for most, if not all, of their basic needs. On the other end of the spectrum, some people with Down syndrome have no trouble with language or communication. They are active and can walk, run, and play sports. They can use the bathroom on their own and cook their own food and be independent in many, if not all, of their daily activities.
Of course, there is a whole lot of in-between, but I'm just outlining this for you guys, mostly because there is a huge stigma when it comes to disabilities in general. Many people don't understand that even if two people do have Down syndrome, that doesn't mean they have the same exact capabilities.
Everyone with Down syndrome has their own unique interests, likes and dislikes, and physical and mental abilities, just like somebody without Down syndrome. As I stated, I work with people who have disabilities in my healthcare job, so this is a topic I am very passionate about.
It is very important to me that you understand that each and every individual with a disability has vastly different needs, and it truly takes people with the biggest heart and compassion to help care for the people who need a lot more care and attention than the average person. And unfortunately for Debbie, that is not what she got in her life. She didn't get a kind, caring, compassionate mother.
She got the exact opposite. Now, when it comes to Debbie, as she developed, she became more independent in her mobility and physical capabilities. She could walk and get around appropriately, but she needed a caretaker to help her navigate life at home and in her community.
She was able to make basic choices for herself for things that she was familiar with, such as what she wanted to do or what she wanted to eat. But when it came to more complex decisions and activities of daily living, she needed help. She required a caretaker for cooking meals, maintaining her environment, and keeping up with her hygiene.
According to those who knew Debbie, she was described as a happy and loving girl. She was shy, but she was outgoing and playful once she got to know someone. She loved horses and loved brushing her long hair. She absolutely idolized her mother and wanted to be just like her. When Debbie was five years old, her mother and father split up.
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Chapter 3: How did Debbie's mother fail to provide care?
According to Thomas, her father, he tried to fight for their marriage, but they couldn't make it work, and ultimately, the courts decided that Debbie and her three siblings would live with their mother. After that, it didn't seem like Thomas had too much involvement in Debbie's life. For the first 18 years of her life, she was living in East Sussex.
Her mother, Elaine, was her registered caretaker and was receiving payments from the government to help keep up with her needs. She also had a caseworker who checked in on Debbie and helped Elaine coordinate all of her therapies and activities that she needed. In East Sussex, Debbie was getting everything she needed to be happy and healthy. In 2016, she weighed just over 140 pounds.
That meant that she was slightly overweight for her age, but she was generally pretty healthy. When Debbie was 18 years old, the family moved from East Sussex to Leeds. Three years later, in 2016, the family then moved from Leeds to Blackpool. When moving to Blackpool, the social worker working with Debbie asked Elaine if she wanted a referral for services to be transferred to Blackpool.
However, Elaine denied. This meant that once they moved to Blackpool, Debbie was no longer receiving the services she required. She didn't have a caseworker or a team making sure her needs were met. Therefore, the safeguarding agencies in Blackpool were not aware of what Debbie needed. They didn't even know that Debbie had a learning disability.
If they did, she would have automatically been registered into their disability register and would have automatically qualified for yearly health checkups. But, as I said, nobody was notified. It seemed that after moving homes, Debbie slipped through the cracks. People in Leeds were trying to offer help, but it was declined.
So after moving, no one in Blackpool even knew that Debbie required care. I do want to note though, that even though she wasn't getting the care she needed, she didn't have a caseworker or anything. Elaine was still registered as her caretaker and was still receiving the weekly payments. By April of 2018, it was found that Debbie was suffering from a severe skin infection.
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Chapter 4: What were the signs of neglect in Debbie's life?
She went to the doctor for treatment, but it was found that Debbie actually had Norwegian scabies. Norwegian scabies, also referred to as crusted scabies, is a severe form of scabies that is characterized by thick patches of crusty, scaly plaques that can contain scabies mites and eggs. Many times, the mites will infest under the finger beds, causing the nails to split and
It is a debilitating and very highly infectious disease and the people most at risk for developing it are the immunocompromised such as someone with Down syndrome. It is also associated with severe neglect. When the diagnosis was made at her general physician's office, she was referred to the hospital for intensive treatment.
Treatment at the hospital seemed successful, but obviously, Debbie's condition raised red flags for the hospital staff, so they made a safeguard referral to adult social services. However, it's not known what came of that call. It doesn't appear that anybody followed up.
After treatment, Debbie was discharged home with a treatment plan in place, as well as a scheduled follow-up appointment with a doctor to monitor her progress. However, Debbie did not make it to that follow-up appointment. By the fall of 2018, a social services worker who was involved with one of Elaine's other children visited the home.
The worker found that the conditions within the home were absolutely filthy and unlivable. At the time, the social worker also referred Debbie to adult social care to get her involved with the therapies and activities she needed. A representative tried reaching out to Elaine to get something scheduled, but they couldn't get a hold of her, so the case was closed.
Starting in early 2019, some family members who visited the home became concerned regarding Debbie's condition. She was deteriorating. She had lost weight. Her skin condition was back. Her once long, flowing hair was now short and straggly. They noticed that it looked like Debbie hardly, if ever, left her room.
The house also smelled of a terrible odor and it was clear that the living conditions were poor. Family members expressed their concerns to Elaine, but once again, she just ignored them. Then by April of 2019, Debbie's cousin Sammy visited the home. When she got there, she asked to see Debbie. Elaine said that Debbie was in her room but wanted to be alone.
Sammy went to her room anyways because she was concerned and wanted to see her. And at that time, she found that 24-year-old Debbie was in very, very poor condition. The room was dark and dirty. There was a horrible smell coming from the room. Debbie was in there just lying on her mattress, which appeared filthy. Sammy encouraged Debbie to come out of her room, which eventually she did.
To Sammy's surprise, Debbie was having difficulty even just standing up and walking, which was something she never previously had trouble with. When Sammy finally saw her in the light, she noticed that Debbie's pajamas were heavily stained, dirty, and smelly. This whole site brought Sammy to tears. She told another family member about this, who I believe was her mother and Elaine's sister.
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Chapter 5: What actions did family members take regarding Debbie's condition?
I want to note that a safeguard concern is made when someone believes a vulnerable individual is in immediate danger of severe injury or death. If a safeguard concern is confirmed by a mandated reporter, I believe the police must become involved at that point. That's at least how it works in the UK.
I had to look it up because I am a mandated reporter in the US, but I'm not sure if there are differences. But from what I've been able to tell, it looks pretty similar to the way the US does it. Either way, after this report was made, Debbie's doctor planned a visit to the home that evening.
Now, I also want to note that this doctor had never actually seen Debbie before, so he wasn't aware of her prior conditions or what she had previously looked like to know if she had lost weight or if her condition changed or any of that. It's also not clear whether or not this doctor knew of her previous medical history, including the two visits she had for severe scabies.
In preparation for this visit, Elaine took Debbie to the shower. She then dressed her in an oversized hoodie, made sure the hood was up and took her downstairs and away from her bedroom. By the time the doctor arrived, he spoke with Elaine, who pretty much just spoke for Debbie the entire time. She told the doctor that she didn't know what her family was talking about.
She mentioned that Debbie was incontinent, so she may have dirtied her briefs before the family came over, but assured the doctor that it was changed in a timely manner. She said that Debbie was clean, happy, and healthy. At the time, the doctor told Elaine that Debbie's skin looked inflamed and dry, but didn't necessarily think she had scabies.
He didn't think there were any safeguarding concerns, meaning police didn't need to get involved because he didn't think she was in immediate danger, but he did arrange to come back and see Debbie in two weeks. A few days after that, a social services worker also followed up to see Debbie.
Once they arrived, they were met with one of Debbie's sisters at the door who told the workers that they weren't allowed in. Apparently, Elaine wasn't home at the time, so the sister was the only one watching Debbie, which actually was not allowed. Debbie was never supposed to be in the care of a sibling. But despite that, the social services worker left after being denied entry.
Later that same day, Elaine did call social services back, letting them know that Debbie was perfectly fine. During the call, a social worker notified Elaine that they would be visiting on August 1st. Of course, Elaine then put Debbie in the shower, cleaned up her room, and dressed her in oversized clothes before workers arrived. When the worker did arrive, they saw Debbie.
She looked underweight and very skinny, but she was clean, so I guess it's good enough. Elaine also told them that she was getting treatment for her skin condition. Social workers didn't seem alarmed at that time, so they left, planning to return for another visit in two weeks. By August 12th, the doctor did return back to the home, but he was unable to make contact with Elaine or Debbie.
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Chapter 6: How did the doctor's visit affect Debbie's situation?
She left her daughter with a disability that left her unable to care for herself. It can be overwhelming as a caretaker to have to care for someone with a disability like this. But not only did she stop caring for Debbie herself, she denied her from being helped by others. She didn't get a caseworker after she moved. She stopped having social workers help with Debbie's care.
She stopped taking her to therapies and activities that not only helped Debbie thrive, but also gave Elaine a little bit of a break in having to be a 24-7 caregiver. Instead of doing those things, Elaine completely gave up on Debbie and left her to die. The charge of negligent manslaughter carries a sentence of 10 to 18 years in the UK.
In the sentencing hearing, the judge considered the aggravating factors such as the prolonged period of time in which the neglect occurred and the fact that she denied help from various family members and agencies who offered support. Mitigating factors were the fact that she pleaded guilty and that she herself had a difficult upbringing.
With everything considered, the judge decided that Elaine Clark will be sentenced to nine years and seven months in prison, having to serve a minimum of two-thirds of her sentence before she will be considered for release. In the aftermath of this horrifying and disturbing case, of course, family members of Debbie are appalled and heartbroken. Obviously, her cousin and aunt wish they did more.
At the time, they saw her condition and knew it was unacceptable, so they called social services thinking that that would be enough. They now know that their efforts were futile. and they regret not getting law enforcement involved and not stepping in to make sure more was done. Debbie's father is heartbroken at the news.
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Chapter 7: What ultimately happened to Debbie Leach?
Of course, I will say that it didn't seem he had any involvement in her life for almost 20 years, so I don't want to speak too much on that. I don't know the extent of his relationship with his daughter, but it does always bother me when parents who aren't there for the child-
come out and are upset and surprised when the other parent does something to harm the child in my opinion and this is just my opinion without knowing too much about the whole history of you know their relationship but he could have been there he could have stepped in and it seems like he didn't that is just my opinion and again we don't know the full circumstances and I don't want to take away from the fact that he is probably grieving but in my opinion he probably could have done more to prevent this
He probably could have offered Elaine some relief when it came to providing such round-the-clock care for a person with a disability. Again, that does not give Elaine any excuse for what she did, but I do think that the father probably could have stepped in and done a lot more than he did.
Additionally, the Blackpool Safeguarding Adults Board did a review into Debbie's death where they found multiple flaws within the system that allowed Debbie to fall through the cracks. Initially, when Elaine was asked if they wanted a new case manager after moving to Blackpool, she said no, as I mentioned earlier.
However, since Debbie was legally an adult, the case manager should have actually asked her, not Elaine. If it was found that Debbie couldn't legally make that decision due to her cognitive deficits, then a decision would be passed on to Elaine. But with what they knew at the time, Debbie should have been asked first.
And if she didn't seem competent to answer those questions, then they should have taken the steps to ask Elaine. Then, of course, all the times the doctors and social workers missed the red flags that were flying directly in their faces, especially during one of those visits that I mentioned earlier, where the worker allowed Elaine to speak on Debbie's behalf the entire time.
The Blackpool Safeguarding Board determined that they should have listened to Debbie's voice. They should have talked to her first, tried to connect with her to figure out her needs, rather than just going through her mother, because again, she was an adult. And that is a big point that I want to make here.
So often, people just assume that people with disabilities can't understand what you're saying. They assume that they're not capable of conversation or of making their own decisions, without even attempting to talk to them. Some people will see someone with Down syndrome and never make any attempt to understand them, and that includes healthcare workers, unfortunately.
It's so frustrating to see when an adult has Down syndrome and the worker or volunteer or whoever in their life just ignores them and only speaks with their caretaker. If you take anything from this video, I just want you to give people a chance. If you know someone with Down syndrome or meet someone with Down syndrome, even if they're with a caretaker, talk to them first. Don't ignore them.
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