Trigger Warning: The article contains details of child abuse and death. Reader discretion is advised.
A two-year-old was subjected to continuous torture, pain, and distress from the people who should have loved him! The injuries from the torture led to his tragic death. He was a scared and malnourished toddler who was constantly reprimanded by his grandparents, and his mother did not care either.
Two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths was under the care of his grandparents, Kerry and Micheal Ives. His mother, Shannon, also lived with them. The evidence of this horrific crime paints the picture of the two-year-old tortured by Kerry and Ethan, as the child had several bruises on his body. He took his last breath at the hospital on August 16, 2021. The grandparents had called the ambulance, saying he just collapsed. Turns out it was a lie and a case of child abuse. The two had made a pact to lie and hide the details, according to the prosecution.
https://youtu.be/CvDvnJOnFpY?si=D92LTwpLwBcx5WJi
The grandparents and child’s mother are being blamed for his death. The trial started on Wednesday and is likely to continue for the upcoming weeks.
The prosecution has stated the two-year toddler’s stay at his grandparent’s house was miserable. He was constantly targeted with abuse and neglect. Moreover, he was withdrawn, quiet, and small in comparison to a normal two-year-old. Brutality and abuse towards him were reportedly normal in the household, as reported by Independent. It only increased a few weeks before his death. According to the prosecution, on the night of August 14, while his mother was upstairs on the phone and he was with his grandparents, he sustained a severe injury.
The prosecution has said that it was a crime of forceful fatal attack on the toddler, but the torture was not just about one night. It has been a cumulative issue of emotional and physical abuse on the child. The neglect towards him was immeasurable from his own family. Despite there being proof of the abuse, the grandparents told the police he had collapsed suddenly.
⚠️ WARNING: This post contains graphic descriptions of violence & child abuse.
Two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths suffered “weeks of misery” before allegedly being murdered by his grandparents, Michael Ives, 46, & Kerry Ives, 45, who are accused of murder, assault, & neglect.… pic.twitter.com/0tLxnIYKdb
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) June 5, 2025
The two hid the truth about the ordeal the child went through. His grandparents concealed the exact reason for his collapse. Moreover, they went on to blame their daughter to avoid taking the blame for his death. They even delayed calling the emergency number and then decided to call at 9:21 pm, which was almost twenty minutes after his collapse.
Upon being asked about the kid’s injuries, they said the mother may have caused the injuries and the death. In this case, his mother, Shannon, was well aware of her parents’ behavior towards the child, and she did not do anything to prevent that. She ignored the fact that he was being abused.
III. Ethan Ives-Griffiths — MOTHER WHO DID NOTHING
Shannon Ives, Ethan’s 28YO mother, was also there.
She climbed onto the trampoline, bounced & watched Ethan fall.
The jury saw her show “not a jot of concern.”
She now claims she was “petrified of her parents.”#TrueCrime pic.twitter.com/hgV1lqu4P5— Gen Just Law (@genjustlaw) June 6, 2025
She did confirm several occasions of them being angry at the toddler. But she was scared of her parents, especially her father’s anger. Both her parents were allegedly abusive towards him. The toddler was underweight, weighing just 22lb, and had serious abdominal and head injuries when he was brought to the hospital for examination. Although he underwent brain surgery, he was pronounced dead on August 16.
CCTV footage was presented in court which showed Michael lifting the toddler from his arms and also shoving him into the back seat of the car. He also used to punish the two-year-old by asking him to put his hands on his head, as seen in another clip. Caroline Rees KC has declared the footage to be harrowing. The ill-treatment of the toddler and his life was truly traumatic in the end. The grandparents and the mother deny murder and abuse, but the CCTV footage is ample proof here.
