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New Child Cruelty Register Becomes Law Thanks to Boy's Story
2 May
Summary
- A new child cruelty register is now law to protect vulnerable children.
- Parents guilty of neglect will face monitoring similar to sex offenders.
- The law change was driven by the campaign of an 11-year-old boy.
A new child cruelty register officially became law on April 29th, following Royal Assent of an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. This significant legislative change mandates monitoring for parents convicted of child neglect, placing them under similar scrutiny as sex offenders. The register's inception was propelled by the persistent advocacy of Tony Hudgell, an 11-year-old boy who suffered severe injuries from his birth parents. His campaign, alongside his adoptive mother Paula, aimed to close critical safeguarding gaps, ensuring greater protection for children.
Tony's lived experience, which led to the amputation of both his legs, served as a powerful catalyst for this reform. Crimes covered by the new register include causing or allowing the death or serious physical harm of a child, child cruelty, neglect, abandonment, female genital mutilation, and infanticide. This historic development ensures that Tony's legacy extends beyond his previous achievements, including the establishment of the Tony Hudgell Foundation and the introduction of "Tony's Law" which strengthened sentencing guidelines for child abuse.
