Tony Hudgell wins campaign as new UK child cruelty register set to be established
Eleven-year-old Tony Hudgell and his adoptive mum Paula have won a long-running campaign for a new child safety register after the government said an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to establish the register is expected to be tabled "shortly". The development aims to place parents guilty of neglect under monitoring similar to that applied to registered sex offenders.
Tony Hudgell: the campaign, recognition and local roots
Tony Hudgell, an 11-year-old from West Malling in Kent, has campaigned with his adoptive mum Paula to protect children. Paula has led the family effort for eight years and described the announcement as a victory for Tony and every child who deserves to be safe, protected and heard. Tony received the British Empire Medal for services to the prevention of child abuse and co-founded the Tony Hudgell Foundation. The foundation helped raise more than £1. 7m for charity during the pandemic. The family also saw the introduction of Tony's Law, which strengthened sentencing for those who cause or allow serious harm to children. Paula thanked everyone who supported the campaign, naming Helen Grant MP among those acknowledged.
What the child cruelty register will cover and require
The proposed register would be established through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. The government indicated in November that it could introduce a register, and has said it expects the amendment to be tabled "shortly". Under the proposal, parents guilty of neglect will face similar monitoring to registered sex offenders. The register would cover child neglect, child cruelty, abandonment, female genital mutilation (FGM) and infanticide.
Those placed on the register would face ongoing reporting obligations after serving a sentence: they would have to inform police if they move house, change their identity, travel abroad or live with children again following release.
Details of the attack on Tony and subsequent justice
Tony was 41 days old when he was assaulted by his birth parents, Jody Simpson and Anthony Smith. The attack caused multiple fractures and dislocations and blunt trauma to the face, which led to organ failure, toxic shock and sepsis. Tony was left untreated and in agony for 10 days. Because of the extent of his injuries, both his legs had to be amputated. Jody Simpson and Anthony Smith were jailed for 10 years in 2018 for inflicting the injuries that led to Tony's double amputation.
Official reaction and the stated purpose of the register
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 Tony did. Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said it is unforgivable that someone who is supposed to take care of a child would hurt them instead, and that the government had listened to the Hudgells and to many families who feel the system has not done enough. Jess Phillips framed the measure as vital action to keep children safer whether online, on the streets, in schools or from their own caregivers.
Officials setting out the change say that parents and caregivers who physically harm children would be more closely monitored by police and face similar restrictions to registered sex offenders, giving safeguarding teams greater visibility to act when risks arise.
What happens next
The register is to be created through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, which the government expects to table "shortly". Details of implementation, including how the register will be held, who will be subject to listing, and the operational processes for notifications and enforcement, are unclear in the provided context. Campaigners and the Hudgell family say the register builds on previous progress and provides tools for safeguarding teams to prevent further abuse.
