County Durham family's Maya's Law debated by cross-party MPs
MPs took part in a 70-minute debate
Last updated 14th Apr 2026
Cross-party MPs have debated 'Maya's Law' after a petition made by a County Durham family reached more than 100,000 signatures.
The campaign calls for better safeguarding for at-risk children like a scheme where people can access information about caregivers' violent or abusive histories.
It's in honour of two year-old Maya Chappell who was shaken to death in 2022.
MPs took part in a 70-minute debate last night at Westminster Hall.
One of those was Mary Kelly Foy, MP for City of Durham, who said: "I think that level of support reflects a simple truth that children are still at risk of falling through the cracks despite warnings being raised by family members. Agencies were aware of some of the dangers, but were not aware that each other had concerns, and that's the Achilles' heel of child protection. It's rarely the case that nobody knew anything, but that everyone knew a little bit.
"And that's why Maya's Law matters; too often our safeguarding arrangements operate in a reactive way. We wait for a threshold to be crossed or a pattern to become undeniable, but children don't get that time back. In safeguarding, to delay is to increase that risk.
"Never forget, Maya should still be here. The least we owe her, family and every child like her is a system that doesn't just collect information but proactively uses it to keep them safe."
Grahame Morris, MP for Easington, said: "By enabling professionals, and where appropriate, concerned family members, to access and act on relevant information, Maya's Law would provide an additional layer of protection, one that is rooted in prevention, not simply in reaction.
"Too often, intervention only comes when the risk has reached a critical and sometimes catastrophic level. Maya's Law asks us to consider whether we are waiting too long and require too much certainty before we act to protect the child.
"Maya's Law is not just a technical change, it represents a shift in approach, a recognition that safeguarding must be proactive, not reactive. And when concerns are raised about a child, they must be taken seriously and acted upon with clear legal duties.
"Children like Maya cannot advocate for themselves in the way that adults can. They rely entirely on the oversight, judgment and cooperation of the adults and institutions around them. When that system fails, the consequences are devastating."
Luke Akehurst, MP for North Durham, said: "The cost of inaction couldn't be higher. When the system fails to pick up on the risks facing a child, the most devastating consequences can follow and young lives can be lost.
"Maya's death ought to compel us to do better to protect children. Such a scheme would mandate proactive information sharing among police, social services, health and other bodies about the risk of caregivers committing such awful crimes before it's too late."
You can watch the full debate below:
You can find out more about Maya's Law on their website or Facebook page.
Gemma Chappell, Maya's great aunt, said: "Hearing Maya's story spoken about in Parliament is always like a good thing, gets Maya's voice out there, gets all the other children's voices out there. But for us it's about making sure the conversation is happening at the right level and yesterday that was done. And for us, the key question is definitely what happens after that information is shared.
"We know that safeguarding views that information can exist and even be shared, but still not be acted up on time, so that's the gap that we're trying to address through Maya's Law.
"As you know, yesterday the minister did welcome our input into the safeguarding reforms that are going on now. We need to obviously have that move forward now with regards to that and get that information sent off from them to us so we can have a look at that.
"We just want to continue to work with the MPs and the ministers and to look whether safeguarding systems do go far enough to ensure that all of the information actually leads to action that protects the children because that's what we're trying to address. Just continue them conversations, continue the meetings, explore how this can be strengthened in practice.
"We do have to obviously sit and just go over the Hansard report and what happened yesterday, digest it to make sure that, you know, it is all going our way and going the way for children.
"Sharing of information is only part of the solution. It's what happens with that information next that protects that child. As we know in Maya's case, information was there. It was left in Silas in different areas.
"Valid concerns were raised about Maya coming back with bruising to our body and that information wasn't shared, it wasn't acted upon. Nobody physically seen Maya and no services figures physically seen Maya and actually, you know, did something about that."
Josh MacAlister, minister for children and families, said: "No child should ever suffer at the hands of someone who was entrusted with their care and no family should have to endure such a loss."
He says the Government's taking action to stregthen information sharing: "First, through strengthening the child sex offender disclosure scheme that has been referenced throughout this debate. Secondly, the introduction of a child cruelty register, which was not something on the cards when we last had this debate in October. And thirdly, through introducing a new information sharing duty in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill."
He added that they're looking at enhancing the existing Sarah's Law: "Sarah's Law, although formally known as the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, it extends well beyond those offences. This may include previous convictions for child sexual abuse, a history of child cruelty or domestic violence, or intelligence relating to violent or sexual offences.
"Sarah's Law does not rely solely on applications from members of the public. It also provides a framework for the police to make proactive disclosures when they believe a child is at risk of serious harm."
The minister says they are plans to have a new child cruelty register: "This will require adults convicted of child cruelty offences to notify the police of key changes in their circumstances in the same way as registered sex offenders need to at the moment. This improves visibility of known risks and supports police to make informed decisions.
"Through our Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we're addressing long-standing misconceptions. We're introducing a new information sharing duty, placing a clear legal obligation on police, children's social care, health and other relevant agencies to share information to safeguard children.
"Crucially and relevant to Maya's story, the information sharing duty requires practitioners to share information with each other about other individuals in a child's life, where this information is relevant to safeguarding or promoting a child's welfare."