Petition: Exclude Manslaughter and Child Abuse Offenders from Automatic Early Release

I am calling on the UK Government to ensure that offenders convicted of manslaughter, child cruelty, child neglect and other offences involving the abuse of children are excluded from any automatic early release scheme.

This issue is deeply personal to me. My son Archie lost his life as the result of a manslaughter offence. No family should have to endure the devastating loss of a loved one through violent crime, only to face the possibility that the person responsible could be released automatically before serving the sentence the court intended because of changes to sentencing policy or pressures on prison capacity.

The tragic case of Maya, a two-year-old girl who was murdered by her mother’s partner while her mother failed to protect her, is another heartbreaking reminder of the lifelong consequences of crimes committed against children. Cases such as these demonstrate the profound and lasting harm caused not only to victims, but to the families and communities who are left to live with that loss forever.

Victims’ families expect the sentence handed down by the courts to reflect the seriousness of these offences. While rehabilitation is an important part of the criminal justice system, it must be balanced with accountability, public protection and maintaining confidence that justice is being served.

I therefore call on the Government to:

* Exclude offenders convicted of manslaughter from any automatic early release scheme.
* Exclude offenders convicted of causing and allowing the death of a child, child cruelty, child neglect and other serious child abuse offences from any automatic early release scheme.
* Ensure that any consideration of release before the end of a custodial sentence for these offences is based on a rigorous individual assessment of risk and the circumstances of the case, rather than automatic eligibility.
* Ensure that the voices of victims and bereaved families remain central when changes to sentencing and release policies are considered.

My son’s life mattered. Mayas life mattered. Every victim’s life matters. Families who have suffered the greatest imaginable loss deserve confidence that sentences imposed by the courts will not be undermined by automatic release policies.

I urge the Government to amend the sentencing framework to protect the public, uphold justice for victims and maintain public confidence in the criminal justice system.