Father of murdered Logan Mwangi 'will always ask himself why son, 5, had to die'
The father of a five-year-old boy murdered by his mother, stepfather and a 14-year-old boy has said he will always ask himself why his son had to die in such horrific circumstances.
Logan Mwangi was found dead in the River Ogmore in Sarn, Bridgend, on the morning of 31 July 2021.
He had more than 50 external wounds, as well as multiple internal injuries akin to those found in victims of a fall from height or high-speed car crash.
His mother Angharad Williamson, 31, her partner John Cole, 40, and a youth were convicted of murdering Logan at Cardiff Crown Court in April. They will be sentenced on 30 June.
Speaking to ITV News, Logan's father Ben Mwangi said: "What child has to go through that sort of torture for such a long period of time? No, it really doesn’t seem real.
"One of the biggest questions in my whole entire life I’ll always be asking myself is, ‘Why? Why did this happen? Why did Logan have to die?’"
Logan’s father had been denied contact with his son since April 2019 – around the time Williamson began her relationship with Cole.
"She blocked my number. For the past five years, I’ve been struggling and trying to fight just to see Logan.
"She made my life an absolute misery. All I’ve wanted to do was just be a dad,” Mr Mwangi said.
Police bodycam footage from the morning Logan Mwangi's body was discovered shows his mother screaming for him - despite knowing she had murdered him
Just a month before Logan was killed, social workers in Bridgend removed him from the child protection register – meaning he was no longer believed to be at risk of serious harm.
The day before police found his body, a social worker spent 20 minutes outside Logan’s home speaking to Williamson and Cole, but did not see or hear the five-year-old.
Mr Mwangi was not told his son was on the child protection register and wants the law changed so social services have a duty to inform estranged parents.
He said: "I probably would have tried to take him away. Why didn’t they do anything to make it a safe environment for him when it clearly wasn’t?
"If I can stop this from happening to anybody else, then that will be the biggest, positive, most positive thing.
"My lasting memory of him was just a happy little boy that called me ‘Daddy’.
“The wonderful memories I have with my son will never be tarnished. They will forever be in my heart and soul.
“I loved him so much and somehow I have to live my life knowing that I will never get to see him grow up to be the wonderful man I know that he could be.”
A child practice review has been launched into Logan’s death and will be led by the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Safeguarding Board, which includes local councils and the police, probation service and NHS.
ITV documentary, The Murder Of Logan Mwangi, was produced in conjunction with South Wales Police. It will be broadcast at 9pm, Thursday June 30, on ITV and S4C, and 10.45pm on ITV Wales.
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