Prime Minister discusses new child cruelty register with Hudgell family

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has met campaigner Paula Hudgell and her adopted son Tony, who was assaulted by his birth parents, and discussed a proposed new child cruelty register.

Tony, 11, was just 41 days old when Jody Simpson and her partner Anthony Smith attacked him, causing multiple fractures and dislocations, and blunt trauma to the face, leading to organ failure, toxic shock and sepsis.

He was left untreated and in agony for 10 days, and because of the extent of his injuries, both his legs had to be amputated.

Simpson and Smith were jailed for 10 years in 2018.

Now, parents guilty of neglect will face similar monitoring to sex offenders under the proposed new child cruelty register.

Under the change now proposed, parents and caregivers who physically harm children would be more closely monitored by police and face restrictions similar to registered sex offenders, the Home Office said.

The register would cover child neglect, child cruelty, abandonment, female genital mutilation (FGM) and infanticide.

Those on it would have to tell police if they move house, change their identity, travel abroad or live with children again after serving their sentence.

The move follows campaigning by Mrs Hudgell, who said their meeting with Sir Keir in Downing Street was “quite emotional”.

She said: “It was such an honour for us to meet the Prime Minister. He was very personable, telling Tony how proud he was of him and how much he’s achieved.

“It was quite emotional. It felt quite surreal in some ways.”

Mrs Hudgell said she is sure the register will save many lives.