Vile thugs who beat children exploiting ‘loophole’ but MPs reject change | Politics | News

Vile thugs who abuse and terrorize children are exploiting a loophole that puts “all” our young people at risk, ministers have been warned.

Campaigner Paula Hudgell, whose adopted son Tony was brutally attacked by his biological family, has delivered a message to MPs about the importance of a national Child Abuse Register.

Similar to the sex offenders register, anyone who has served a sentence for child cruelty offenses will be required to report their personal information to the police and keep it up to date.

But Labor MPs rejected the request and Justice Secretary Jake Richards promised the Government would consider it in the coming weeks.

Shadow Advocate General Helen Grant burst into tears as she read this message from Paula: “No child should have to endure what Tony went through. His suffering as a baby changed all of our lives forever.”

“Over the past seven years, I have fought tirelessly to ensure that cruelty to children is recorded, and this is because I believe that those who commit such horrific crimes against children should never be allowed to disappear from the system after their sentences have ended.

“Registration would mean proper monitoring, accountability and protection, not just for Tony, but for every child in our country. It is heartbreaking that currently known abusers can change their names, move to new areas, form new relationships, have more children, without the need to report anything to the authorities.”

“This is a loophole that puts all our children at risk.”

Tony was only 41 days old when his biological parents, Jody Simpson and Anthony Smith, attacked him, causing multiple fractures and dislocations and blunt trauma to the face, leading to organ failure, toxic shock and sepsis.

He remained untreated and in pain for 10 days, and due to the extent of his injuries, both of his legs had to be amputated.

Simpson and Smith were sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2018. They served eight years behind bars but were recently released and will be managed and monitored by the police and placed on probation for the remaining two years of their sentences.

Ms Grant said her constituent Tony, now 11, and his stepmother Paula were the most “brave, determined, united mother-son team” she had ever met.

He argued there was a “dangerous loophole in our child protection system” which meant Simpson and Smith would face no further monitoring after completing their respective sentences.

He told MPs: “If she changes her name, starts a new family, moves to the county, has more children there is nothing, zero, no management, no monitoring, no reporting obligation and case details will be archived, leaving a terrible and dangerous gap in our child protection system.”

The Conservatives have called for reporting requirements for child cruelty offenders to be added to the Government’s Sentencing Bill with New Clause 20. Shadow justice secretary Kieran Mullen, who tabled the new clause, said it was “a clear and proven step we can take to improve the way we protect our children”.

However, MPs rejected the new article with 311 votes against 182 and a majority of 129.

Justice Minister Jake Richards said: “It would be wrong to legislate now without having a more comprehensive or even fundamental understanding of whether we have the capacity to safely provide a record as proposed.”

Ms Grant intervened to say: “When the Bill comes to the House of Lords will it bring about a change of Government to record cruelty to children?”

Mr Richards replied: “We will certainly be speaking to our Home Office colleagues and others to see the possibility of doing this.

“And he, like his constituents who have been watching this debate carefully, has a promise to work quickly on this issue, but what I don’t want to do is make promises the Government can’t keep.

“And so it’s absolutely vital that we do the work; we understand the burden it will put on services that need to undertake this work to ensure it gets done.”

In advocating for registration of child cruelty, Ms Grant recalled her more than 20 years of work as a legal aid family lawyer specializing in child abuse and domestic violence, and the “messy cycle” she witnessed of abusers going to prison, being released and then going back to being violent towards their families.

He said: “Most days of the week, I was going to various district courts in the south-east of the country to obtain non-harassment and occupation orders, mostly for women and children.

“Some perpetrators also went to prison following criminal proceedings, but upon release, many returned directly to their former homes and abused their families again. It was like a vicious cycle.

“And the point I’m trying to make here is that prison can of course be good rehabilitation, but tragically it remains a risk for many people after they leave prison. And as parliamentarians, we must do everything we can to manage and eliminate that risk.”

He added: “Experience has shown me that, and indeed it is, people who commit serious crimes frequently move. They change districts. They deliberately avoid detection by not registering with health services, social services and other institutions.”

“And the reporting requirement in the amendment will serve as a good single identifier to help prevent some families from escaping online.”