A horrible child murderer who participated in the outrageous murder and torture of Victoria Climbie can be free from prison in weeks – and is forgiven by her parents.
Eight-year-old Victoria died 25 years ago this month after he was tortured during a sadistic campaign of abuse by Carl Manning and his girlfriend, Marie-Therese Kouao.
It was one of the most moving issues of child abuse and the couple was imprisoned for life.
It was one of the first cases in its kind and scale and led to a public investigation that discovered that Victoria was failing by numerous government agencies, including social services and the police.
Countless young children died in such circumstances throughout the country since then, when they should have been cared for by the state.
Little Victoria was tortured by Manning and his partner, and forced to sleep in a black bin-liner filled with her own droppings, burned with cigarettes, burned with hot water and starving.
She was too tied and touched with bicycle chains, hammers, threads, shoes and jacket pendants and made to eat like a dog.
A report said that the race played a role in the authorities who ignored her. Police, social services, NHS and NSPCC all had contact with the young girl.
Victoria died of hypothermia in February 2000 and was discovered with 128 separate injuries and wounds to her body during torture in the Flat of Manning.
Carl Manning (photo), now 52, was imprisoned for life in 2001 for the murder of Victoria Climbie
Eight-year-old Victoria (photo) died 25 years ago this month after he was tortured during a sadistic campaign of abuse by Carl Manning and his girlfriend, Marie-Therese Kouao
Marie-Therese Kouao (left), Victoria's Oudtaante, was complicit in her murder
Victoria Climbie depicted in 1999 after he was admitted to the accident and resistance of North Middlesex Hospital for reducing her head and face
The now 52-year-old was imprisoned for life in 2001 and ordered to serve for at least 21 years.
But the former bus driver has now expressed a new bid for freedom with the Parole Board and has received a third hearing.
A panel of experts will look at his case and analyze his behavior in prison, how he reacts in situations and whether he is repentance for the murder.
But it seems that he has the forgiveness of her parents. Francis and Berthe have entrusted Victoria to the care of Marie, who brought her from Ivory Coast to England to be trained for a new life.
Now it can be revealed that the parents of Victoria have forgiven Manning, but not Marie. They have also forgiven the various agencies that have failed her.
Writing online for the forgiveness project, says the couple: 'Initially, when we first heard about Victoria, we could not forgive. We are people and no human is perfect.
“We were tormented by guilt, fear and hatred and could not understand how our daughter's life could have been destroyed by someone who had promised to take care of her. Victoria was very, very expensive for us.
'We had so many expectations and so much hope for our child. Yet from the very first day we heard about the death of Victoria, we started to pray that we could forgive one day.
'If you want to live happily and at ease in this life, you have to learn to forgive. It should not matter whether the person is unable to ask forgiveness or even to acknowledge that he has done wrong, because forgiveness cannot be based on conditions.
Francis and Berthe Climbie, the parents of Victoria, revealed that they forgiven Carl Manning, but not Marie
Francis and Berthe were tormented by 'guilt, fear and hatred after the murder of their daughter
Victoria (photo) was discovered with 128 separate injuries and wounds to her body during torture in the flat of Manning
'So we are not waiting for Marie-Therese to ask our forgiveness: whether she asks for it or not, we forgiven her.
'But while Marie-Therese has not shown regrets, her friend, Carl Manning, asked for our forgiveness. The sad thing is that he has not achieved freedom – not in his body, his spirit or his soul. We cannot ignore their debt.
'Whatever wrong people do in life, there will be a price to pay, but it is not up to us to punish. The legal system has its way of dealing with people who are not suitable for living among people.
“We have also been able to forgive all those authorities and individuals shown by the public research to have failed our daughter.”
The essay they wrote also explains how Victoria left the care for her parents.
They continued: 'First the child is murdered, but if you as a parent then only focus on retaliation, you will go out of the mind and memory of your child.
'Many people in England asked us why we gave Victoria away. I want to say that we have not given her away. In African society, children are not only the children of their parents, but the children of their aunts and uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers, brothers and sisters.
'The greatest privilege of everything is that a family member offers to teach your child abroad. In Africa we can only survive because those who are successful feel a duty to help those who are not. What comfort is revenge? Our biggest desire is that something positive should come out of this tragedy. That is why we open a school in the Ivory Coast.
'It will be a center of excellence that offers education for children from all over the world. The only reason for Victoria that would come to England was to follow a course. This school is our way of making the spirit and name of our child immortal. '
Manning has served part of his sentence in HMP Wakefield, the home of Harold Shipman and Ian Huntley – among many others.
A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: 'We can confirm that the conditional assessment of Carl Manning was referred to the Parole Board by the State Secretary of Justice and the standard processes follows.
'Parole Board decisions are exclusively aimed at what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if it is released and whether that risk is manageable in the community. A panel will carefully investigate a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any proof of behavioral change, and investigates the damage caused and the impact that the crime had on the victims.
'Members read and digest hundreds of pages with evidence and reports in the run -up to an oral hearing. Proof of witnesses such as probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials who supervise the perpetrator in prison, as well as victim personal statements can be given during the hearing. '
They added: 'It is standard for the prisoner and witnesses to be extensively questioned during the hearing, which often lasts a full day or more. Conditional assessments are carried out thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our first priority. '
Manning's relationship with Kouao was identified as the key to the murder of Victoria, during an earlier conditional hearing in 2023, which was refused.
After her death there was a promised commotion of social services when a public investigation was found in 2003 that hospitals, police and social workers missed 12 opportunities to save Victoria.
During one visit to the social provisions, Victoria had an unkempt appearance, in which one employee noticed that she looked like a child from an Action AID advertisement.
She was also seen by doctors and taken to the hospital. The twisted caretaker told church leaders that demons were in Victoria, but that they were unable to take action.
They even offered prayers to Victoria to 'cast the devil'.
She died later and the couple was arrested, charged and imprisoned.
Manning has served part of his sentence in HMP Wakefield, the home of Harold Shipman and Ian Huntley – among many others.
