The NSPCC charity figures show that every ten days one child is killed at the hands of their parent in the UK. In over half of all cases, the parent is the principal suspect in children killed at the hands of another person. The recent sentencing of Rhys Biggs carers highlights a loophole in the law which allows people who deliberately injure a child to evade justice.
Rhys Biggs was only 2 months old when he did from a catalogue of horrendous injuries before his death in 2006. His wrist and shoulder were broken and his ribs fractured during a horrific campaign of cruelty. His mother and boyfriend were convicted of assault and cruelty rather than murder or manslaughter because the cause of the boy’s death could not be determined.
NSPCC lawyer, Barbara Esam, said –
The law needs to be addressed to cover cases where a carer has inflicted serious injuries on a child – where the child does not die or where it cannot be proved that the child died from the injuries inflicted. We must secure full justice for children who are battered and bruised at home and left disabled for the rest of their lives. The gap in the law must be closed so that cruel and violent parents face charges which reflect the serious nature of their offences.
The NSPCC says this case highlights a gap in the law that allows parents and carers to beat charges when they brutally wound or disable their children. These laws need addressing to save guard the future of other children and to ensure those committing the crimes are dealt with accordingly.
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