Prime Minister reiterates support for County Durham family's 'Maya's Law'

A petition has hit more than 110,000 signatures

Author: Karen LiuPublished 12th Mar 2026

The Prime Minister's re-iterating his support for the family of a County Durham toddler who was shaken to death four years ago.

Two year-old Maya Chappell died in 2022 at the hands of her mum's partner.

Her family's still waiting for the date of a Parliament debate as their petition calling for better safeguarding laws for at-risk children has over 110,000 signatures.

Sir Keir Starmer said: "Can I again say how tragic this case is? I pay tribute to all of those campaigning on this. I think it's really important that they've secured the debate. I'm not quite sure when the debate is but I'll certainly be keeping a very careful eye on it.

"I think it's a really important case. It's also important that the Secretary of State keeps meeting with the family to see what more we can do. It is a tragic case and I want to make sure that we've done everything we possibly can to support the family."

Find out more about Maya's Law on their website or Facebook page.

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