A change in the law that closes a legal loophole used by violent child abusers to escape justice has been welcomed by East Lancashire MP Andrew Stephenson.
It means that people accused of seriously abusing children who try to avoid punishment by staying silent or blaming someone else, will face up to 10 years in prison.
The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims (Amendment) Act 2012, which comes into effect on Monday 2 July, extends the offence of causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable adult to causing or allowing serious physical harm.
Pendle Tory backbencher Mr Stephenson said: “It is appalling to think that a legal loophole meant that terrible crimes of abuse could go unpunished.
“The Crown Prosecution Service say cases where no successful prosecution could be brought included a five-month-old baby who suffered a brain haemorrhage and fractured skull and a two-week-old with a broken collar bone, ribs and leg.”
The Act is the result of a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Sir Paul Beresford MP which the Government backed to ensure it became law.
NSPCC Chief Executive, Andrew Flanagan said: “Now adults can no longer inflict horrific injuries on children and get away with it by staying silent or blaming each other.
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