ABUSIVE parents are set to get similar treatment to sex offenders by being placed on a child cruelty register.
The shift in policy would mean parents convicted of child abuse will face tougher restrictions that last beyond their sentencing.
The register would mean parents convicted of abuse would have to inform police of a change of identity, location or if they are to live with children again.
The new proposed amendment would cover a new range of crimes, including infanticide, abandonment, child cruelty and female genital mutilation, all detailed on a ‘child cruelty register’.
It is hoped the changes will me implemented in November 2026.
This comes after years of campaigning from Paula Hudgell – adoptive mother to double-amputee Tony Hudgell.
Tony was just six weeks old when his mother and her partner left him with fractures and dislocation across his body.
The extent of the injuries led to organ failure, toxic shock and then sepsis – forcing him to have both of his legs amputated.
Jody Simpson and partner Anthony Smith were both jailed for 10 years in 2018.
Since Tony’s adoption in 2016, Paula has been advocating for his story, and pushing for a change in the law.
She said to the Metro: “It feels very surreal after such a long campaign, and hopefully it will save many lives going forward.”
Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, 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.”
This comes less than a year after it was announced that Tony’s birth mother would be released from jail early.
Tony’s family were left outraged, as they were not expecting her release until 2028.
Paula hopes these new laws will prevent further damage to children even after the perpetrators’ release.
Sentencing Minister, Jake Richards MP, said: “Child abusers do not deserve shielding; children do.
“The Child Cruelty Register will ensure these offenders are visible to the police, allowing authorities to see and act when risks arise.
“I thank Paula Hudgell for her remarkable fight to ensure no child should go through the life-altering abuse that her son Tony did.”
