Are they running from responsibility? Owners of 'overcrowded' nursery where ... trends now
There are few more stressful ordeals for new parents than finding the right childcare when the time comes to go back to work.
Those who visited Tiny Toes nursery in Cheadle Hulme were no doubt reassured by the 'safe, stimulating and, above all, caring environment' promised by the Cheshire nursery's website; not to mention that its grandly titled 'Creator of Early Years Education' had been awarded a 'knighthood for services to education in France'.
Then there was the fact that Tiny Toes clients included a BBC journalist whose young son attended the nursery. A video filmed at the BBC Breakfast studio in Manchester and proudly posted on the nursery website in 2019 showed presenters including Carol Kirkwood, Nina Warhurst and Ben Thompson, greeting the Tiny Toes children from the famous sofa with 'a special hello' to camera. Another happy parent, writing a glowing review, thanked the nursery's 59-year-old owner, former amateur racing driver Franck Pelle, for his 'sales pitch' which 'persuaded us', adding that it was 'a great decision' to send their daughter there.
But this week, as one of Mr Pelle's most senior members of staff was jailed for 14 years for the manslaughter of a baby girl in his nursery's care, neither he nor his 66-year-old wife Karen, a co-owner of the business, were anywhere to be seen or heard.
Genevieve, pictured, died from asphyxiation brought on by a combination of pathophysiological stresses created by a 'very unsafe sleeping environment'
One of Mr Pelle's (pictured) most senior members of staff was jailed for 14 years for the manslaughter of a baby girl in his nursery's care
Both Franck and Karen Pelle, pictured, were directors and joint shareholders of Tiny Toes Nursery
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Nursery worker who killed nine-month-old girl by strapping her face down to a bean bag for more than 90 minutes is jailed for 14 years
Serious concerns were raised in court this week about staffing levels and overcrowding at the nursery, which has since closed down, and there will be an inquiry by Stockport Council working alongside Greater Manchester Police into possible health and safety failings. Amid this, the Pelles have rented out their £1million mansion complete with swimming pool and tennis courts near Macclesfield and, according to former neighbours, are now living in Mr Pelle's native France where they own a luxury chalet in the Hautes Alpes.
The wealthy couple have not been present at Manchester Crown Court over the past month to hear how their deputy manager, Kate Roughley, 37, strapped nine-month-old Genevieve Meehan face down on to a bean bag in the nursery's baby room and covered her with a blanket because she wouldn't go to sleep.
On Monday, Roughley, who joined the nursery straight from college when she was 18 years old and had worked there for 17 years, was found guilty of manslaughter by ill-treatment after the prosecution said she 'persecuted' the youngster for occupying too much of her time.
Genevieve, the daughter of barrister John Meehan and his solicitor wife Katie, died from asphyxiation brought on by a combination of pathophysiological stresses created by a 'very unsafe sleeping environment'. She was left for over 90 minutes before being found 'unresponsive and blue'.
Kate Roughley, 37, pictured, strapped nine-month-old Genevieve Meehan face down on to a bean bag in the nursery's baby room and covered her with a blanket because she wouldn't go to sleep
Roughley joined the nursery straight from college when she was 18 years old and had worked there for 17 years
Genevieve was the daughter of barrister John Meehan and his solicitor wife Katie (pictured)
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'I feel so ashamed and such a failure. I was in complete ignorance of what was to come': Mother of nine-month-old girl who died after being strapped to nursery bean bag for 90 minutes gives heartbreaking statement as her killer is jailed for 14 years
But according to evidence heard in court, this horrific crime also took place at a time when the staff-to-children ratio at the nursery was, at various times, one to nine, two to 11, two to 13 and even one to 16.
On the day Genevieve, known as Gigi, died, Roughley was one of two staff members caring for 16 babies at the nursery when legal guidelines in England dictate that one person should never have sole care of more than three children under the age of two.
Staff member Megan Goldsby, who worked in the toddler room at the time of Genevieve's death, painted a picture of a chaotic, understaffed and poorly run business, telling the court 'we had too many children' and national staffing levels were not followed and 'didn't reflect reality'.
'There are Ofsted guidelines,' she said. 'At the start it was very close. It was not that bad, but it gradually got worse.'
Roughley herself said she had complained about the 'sheer number of children'. The jury also heard evidence from Catherine Knowles, an independent children's social work consultant who said that the available floor space in the baby room was 'not sufficient', adding: 'The whole set-up of this baby room was not conducive to a caring, nurturing or learning environment.' She also said that CCTV footage showed that understaffing 'appeared to be the norm'.
Parents at the nursery – where fees for 0 to 5 years-olds in 2022 were £60.75 a day – have also spoken this week of 'queues of parents picking up their children, 20 to 30 people deep'.
Neighbours in the village near Macclesfield, where the Pelles still own their gated mansion, pictured, say that before the couple moved out, they generally kept a low profile
For Genevieve's parents, the repercussions of what went on within its walls two years ago will never go away
One parent, whose son attended the nursery alongside Genevieve, told the Manchester Evening News that after Covid parents had to drop their children off at reception and were unable to go into the nursery itself.
'We couldn't see what was going on in
