Big day for County Durham family as 'Maya's Law' set to be debated by MPs
The Parliamentary debate starts at 6pm
It's a big day for the family of a County Durham toddler who was shaken to death four years ago as MPs are set to debate 'Maya's Law' later.
The family of two year-old Maya Chappell have been campaigning for better safeguarding for at-risk children.
They want to see a disclosure scheme introduced where people can access information about the violent or abusive histories of caregivers.
Gemma Chappell, Maya's great aunt, said: "I guess I'm feeling a little bit anxious, a bit mixed emotions, if I'm honest. I'm very proud of how far we've got with this, but also very determined because this isn't just about the debate, it's about Maya and so many other children who should still be here today.
"For us, it's not just a 90-minute conversation. It's about long-term change and making sure that what happened to Maya is never repeated. We've worked incredibly hard as a family to turn something devastating into something that could protect other children, so I feel ready and ready to be their voice.
"I'm hoping the debate moves beyond sympathy and into action. We've already seen the current systems, even with the new proposals, don't fully close the gaps that failed Maya. And so my expectation is that MPs really need to listen and understand what's missing and start pushing for meaningful change, not just acknowledge the problem, but fix it.
"Maya's case wasn't an isolated incident. Our children right now who are known to services where small pieces of information sit in different places but aren't being joined together. And Maya's Law is about bringing those pieces together before it's too late.
"And if this debate achieves anything, I hope it's that people start to see safeguarding differently, not as reacting after harm, but preventing it in the first place, such as like what could have happened with Maya by acting out and going to see Maya in-person that the services could have done."
Liz Twist, MP for Blaydon and Consett, said: "In the debate I'm expecting to see MPs from across the UK, but especially from the North East, coming together to strengthen child safety law and persuade the minister that we need to take that next step that the campaign is asking for.
"I again want to strengthen the family's voice and make it as loud as possible and see that real action is taken to prevent more deaths like Maya's.
"I hope to see firm proposals for change in the debate, but that won't be the end of the campaign. These conversations will carry on for as long as we need them to do and make that change and make Maya's Law."
Find out more on their website or Facebook page.