Tony Hudgell campaign secures new UK child cruelty register
tony hudgell, an 11-year-old whose legs were amputated after he was assaulted as a baby, has won a long-running campaign that will see a new child cruelty register added to the Crime and Policing Bill — a change the government says it expects to table "shortly".
Tony Hudgell and his family secure legislative change
Tony and his adoptive mother, Paula, from West Malling in Kent, pressed ministers for a register to keep people convicted of child cruelty under police visibility. Tony, who received the British Empire Medal for services to the prevention of child abuse, said he was "so happy it's finally happening and that children will be more protected. " Paula called the announcement "a victory for Tony - and for every child who deserves to be safe, protected and heard, " and said she was "incredibly proud that the child cruelty register is finally becoming a reality" after campaigning for change.
How the register will be created and what it will cover
The register is to be established through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. The change would cover child neglect, child cruelty, abandonment, female genital mutilation (FGM) and infanticide, offences the Home Office described as "egregious betrayals of a child's trust and dependency. " The government said the amendment is expected to be tabled "shortly. " The bill is passing through the House of Lords and Conservative MPs have vowed to press for the measure to become law.
What those placed on the register would have to do
Under the proposals, people convicted of relevant offences would face monitoring similar to that applied to registered sex offenders. Those on the register would be required to tell police if they move house, change their identity or name, travel abroad or live with children again after serving a sentence. Proposals discussed by campaigners and some Conservative backbenchers also include notifying police about forming new relationships, staying in a house for 12 hours or more with children, and informing officers about any planned private contact with youngsters.
Details of Tony's case and the family’s earlier wins
Tony was 41 days old when his birth parents, Jody Simpson and Anthony Smith, attacked him, causing multiple fractures and dislocations, blunt trauma to the face, organ failure, toxic shock and sepsis. He was left untreated and in agony for 10 days; because of the extent of his injuries both his legs had to be amputated. Simpson and Smith were jailed for 10 years in 2018. Tony later helped co-found the Tony Hudgell Foundation and helped raise more than £1. 7m for charity during the pandemic, and the family saw the introduction of Tony's Law, which strengthened sentencing for those who cause or allow serious harm to children.
Political pressure and reactions from ministers and MPs
Sentencing minister Jake Richards paid tribute to Paula Hudgell for her "remarkable fight to ensure no child should go through the life-altering abuse that her son Tony did. " He said the Child Cruelty Register will make offenders visible to the police so authorities can act when risks arise, adding that "child abusers do not deserve shielding; children do. " Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said: "It is unforgivable that someone who is supposed to take care of a child would hurt them instead. We've listened to the Hudgells, and to the many families who feel the system hasn't done enough to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society, and we are taking vital action. Whether it be online, on the streets, in schools, or from their own caregivers – children are being kept safer under this government. "
Conservative MPs have mounted fresh calls for the register, with Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy saying a "serious justice system cannot allow people convicted of brutal child cruelty to disappear, potentially able to repeat their crimes against other children unchecked. " The Conservatives argued there is currently no central system to track offenders who have served time for physical or emotional cruelty towards children and told MPs the register would provide proper monitoring, accountability and protection.
Paula Hudgell has described her campaign in strong terms on more than one occasion; she told supporters she had "fought tirelessly" for the register in remarks noting years of effort, while elsewhere she described the campaign as lasting eight years. The Conservatives said abuse is widespread, citing figures that 16. 5% of adults in England and Wales say they suffered physical abuse in childhood, 22. 7% emotional abuse and 29% some form of abuse. A Home Office official told Shadow Solicitor General Helen Grant that some 900 to 1, 000 offenders could be added to the register every year, a total policy makers said must be balanced so as not to overwhelm police resources.
Next on the timeline, ministers expect the amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to be tabled "shortly, " and Conservative MPs have said they will press the measure while the bill continues its passage through the House of Lords.
