Warning: This article contains discussion of child sex abuse which some readers may find distressing.
There has been a new development in the case of a woman who enabled the abuse of her baby by Ian Watkins, the former frontman of Lostprophets.
On October 11, Watkins was fatally attacked by other inmates at HMP Wakefield in the UK.
It was reported that prisoners were let out of their cells, and Watkins, aged 48, was assaulted by two individuals who then stabbed him to death.
Watkins was declared dead at the location.
Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, have been charged with his murder.
Previously celebrated as a singer, Watkins’ heinous actions were uncovered at the end of 2012.
In 2013, he pleaded guilty to 13 child sex offenses, including conspiring to rape a child, resulting in a prison sentence.
One of the women involved in allowing Watkins access to her child has recently made a request from prison.
Referred to as Woman B, she received a 17-year prison sentence for enabling Watkins to abuse her child and for taking indecent photos.
The Parole Board has announced that her case is under review, with a spokesperson stating to the Daily Mail: “We can confirm the parole review of (Woman B) has been referred to the Parole Board by the Secretary of State for Justice and is following standard processes.
“Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.
“A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.”
They added: “Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.”
Surprisingly, Woman A was released from prison years earlier.
She had been handed a 14-year sentence after admitting her involvement in the child abuse immediately upon arrest.
According to the Ministry of Justice, she was released in November 2023 after serving over half of her sentence.
During the trial, a psychiatrist indicated that the abuse by Watkins and Woman A would have lifelong psychological effects on her child.
“[They are] likely to have lifelong psychological difficulties coming to terms with the enormity of what has happened to him. He will eventually learn the truth of his childhood and the abuse he was subjected to,” was stated in court.
During the 2013 trial at Cardiff Crown Court, Justice Royce remarked: “A mother naturally loves, protects, shields, nurtures and cherishes. Your infant would have trusted you implicitly. You totally betrayed that trust.”
Reports note that Watkins’ former girlfriend, Joanne Mjadzelics, reached out to Woman A in 2012 to warn her about Watkins’ intentions to harm children.
Tragically, a month later, Woman A and Watkins committed acts of abuse against her baby at the K West Hotel in West London, filming the incident, and she reportedly encouraged him as he attempted to rape her infant.
Watkins was apprehended when a drug warrant led to a search of his home in September 2012, where computers, mobile phones, and storage devices were confiscated and examined.
Mjadzelics had previously tried to alert the police about Watkins, but no action was taken at the time.
Woman B was initially released in June 2021, only to be re-incarcerated in September due to allegations of deceit about her relationships and other behaviors, as mentioned by Metro.
In 2023, during her first parole hearing, it was noted that she refused to engage in programs to comprehend the gravity of her sex offenses, and she had been ‘experiencing low self-esteem and being prepared to offend for the approval of others’.
The report continued: “She had been too easily influenced and manipulated by another person. She had felt lonely and had been unable to successfully maintain relationships.
“Nor had she thought sufficiently about the impact of her actions on her victim.”
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.