Family to keep fighting for murdered toddler's law
Family handoutThe family of a murdered toddler have said they will continue fighting for further safeguarding laws, following a debate in parliament.
Two-year-old Maya Chappell was shaken to death by her mother's boyfriend at home in Shotton Colliery, County Durham, in 2022. A petition in support of Maya's Law topped 100,000 signatures, which triggered Monday's debate.
The government said many of the family's proposals were reflected in reforms it was already planning.
Maya's great aunt, Gemma Chappell, said the new law would go further in protecting children by giving services power to act on concerning information, and listening to "trusted adults" in a child's family network.
"I think the sharing of information is only part of the solution, it's about what happens next to protect that child," Chappell said.
The Westminster Hall debate was led by Sunderland Central Labour MP Lewis Atkinson, who raised the family's view that it was "time to move from expressions of sympathy to action".
He said it was frustrating the government's Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill had still not completed its passage through parliament to become law.
In response, Children's Minister Josh MacAlister said strengthening child protection was its "absolute priority".
A government spokesperson added the planned bill would "deliver many of the changes Maya's family have called for".
These included "stronger multi-agency child protection teams" and "better information-sharing between police, education, health and social workers, so that no child falls through the cracks again".
'Didn't say never'
Chappell told BBC Radio Tees the debate had been "really positive" and was a "very emotional day".
She said the planned protections were a "positive step".
"But for us, Maya's Law is about asking that further question, what happens after that information is shared?
"It's about closing gaps and making sure this doesn't happen again, to not allow other children to go through what Maya went through and other families to go through what we went through."
Chappell said the family would not stop campaigning.
"What the MPs said, and what the minister said, was a massive step for us and they didn't say never," she said.
"We want to make sure that protecting children starts now."
