Baby P mother Tracey Connelly 'released from jail' after serving four years of sentence

At the time of her sentencing she was told she would serve a minimum of five years for causing or allowing her son Peter’s death

Tracey Connelly has been released from prison (PA)

Tracey Connelly, the mother who allowed her 17-month-old son Baby P to be tortured to death by her lover, has reportedly been released from prison.

Connelly, 32, served four years after being detained indefinitely in May 2009.

At the time of her sentencing she was told she would serve a minimum of five years for causing or allowing her son Peter’s death.

She was freed after the Parole Board recommended her release following a second review of her case earlier this month.

The board said at the time: "Tracey Connelly first became eligible for parole in August 2012, and at that time a Parole Board panel made no recommendation to release.

"This is the second parole review for Tracey Connelly. The decision to release is a matter for the board, which is independent - arrangements and the date of the release are a matter for the Secretary of State."

Baby Peter died in August 2007 after suffering more than 50 injuries. He died at the family home in Tottenham on August 3rd just a day after his mother was told she would not be prosecuted over the abuse of the child.

The Ministry of Justice today refused to confirm whether Connelly had been released, saying it did not comment on individual cases, but sources confirmed to the Press Association that the release had taken place.

The Baby P case caused public outrage after it emerged the child had died despite being on the at-risk register and receiving 60 visits from social workers, police and health professionals over a period of eight months.

Connelly admitted causing or allowing Peter's death soon after being charged and served several hundred days on remand.

She was being held at Low Newton jail near Durham, it is believed. She was given a so-called imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence, which carries a minimum term.

When making the decision about whether to release an individual, the Parole Board will take into account the nature of the offence, the prisoner's offending history, the prisoner's progress in prison and any statements made on behalf of the victim.

Reports from psychologists, probation officers and prison officers are also taken into account.

Connelly will now remain on licence for the rest of her life and if she breaches any of the conditions, she will probably be recalled to custody.

According to reports Connelly will be given a new name and hairstyle in an attempt to live anonymously. She will not, however, receive a full new identity.

Connelly was jailed along with her boyfriend Steven Barker and his brother Jason Owen, who were convicted at trial of the same offence.

Barker was jailed for life with a minimum of 10 years for raping a two-year-old girl and given a 12-year term to run concurrently for his "major role" in Peter's death.

Owen was jailed indefinitely with a minimum three-year term but later won an appeal to lower it to a fixed six-year term.

He was freed in August 2011 but was then recalled to prison again in April this year.

The recriminations surrounding the case continue to this day.

Just this week the news emerged that Sharon Shoesmith, the former head of children’s services who was dismissed after the Baby P case, reached an estimated £600,000 settelement from Haringey Council for unfair dismissal.

Her lawyers argued that she was the victim of "a flagrant breach of natural justice" fuelled by a media witch-hunt.

A Haringey Council spokeswoman confirmed that a settlement had been reached but the terms of the agreement were confidential.

Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles accused Haringey of "bankrolling a state-sponsored cover-up". Ed Balls said the settlement would "appal people across the country".