New YouGov poll supports Madeleine Foundation's campaign for a MADELEINE'S LAW to make it a specific crime to leave young children on their own

by **Tony Bennett** 15.11.14 7:37

A poll published in today's Daily Telegraph backs specific demands for a new 'Madeleine's Law', proposed by the Madeleine Foundation back in 2007.

We felt at the time that Madeleine's apparent abduction was an opportunity to firm up the law on leaving young children on their own. We proposed that there should be a new law making it a criminal offence to leave a child under 12 on their own without reasonable excuse.

Today's published YouGov poll shows that two-thirds of parents would back a 'Madeleine's Law' - and agree with our specific proposal made 7 years ago that the cut-off age should be 12:

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Make it a crime to leave children under 12 home alone, say parents

A YouGov poll of parents found that two thirds want the government to set a minimum age limit to leave children home alone

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The following is an extract from a Madeleine Foundation article about Madeleine's Law published in early 2009

E. Why we need a ‘Madeleine’s Law’

And that message: “Never leave young children on their own”, is one that we think should be one of Madeleine’s legacies to us all, whatever happened to her. We suggest that this sentence, “Never leave young children on their own”, is one that should become known as ‘Madeleine’s Law’.

The idea of a ‘Madeleine’s Law’, then, is in tribute to Madeleine’s memory. It results from our thinking about what lessons could be learnt from the mystery of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. We know from the McCanns’ own words that they made a conscious decision to leave their three young children for six nights in a row on their own, whilst they and their adult friends were out having a good time eating and drinking.

Furthermore, the McCanns openly admitted in a statement to Portuguese police that Madeleine had spoken to them on the very morning she was reported missing, Thursday 3 May 2007. The McCanns have admitted that Madeleine said to them: “Why didn’t you come when me and Sean were crying last night?”. Yet the McCanns then went out that same evening, leaving Madeleine and her young brother and sister on their own, exposed to all manner of risks. Her parents, whose responsibilities as doctors include monitoring the welfare of children, thought they could safely leave their own children alone for extended periods of time.

The Madeleine Foundation says, simply, that Madeleine should be remembered as a victim of parents prepared to leave three very young children on their own. If Madeleine was abducted, she could not have been if her parents had been prepared to pay an extra few pounds a night for the baby-sitting service operated by the Mark Warners holiday resort where they were staying.

In memory of Madeleine, therefore, we have adopted the slogan: “Madeleine’s Law: Never leave young children on their own”, in order that Madeleine’s disappearance may serve some positive purpose.

In early 2008, soon after we were formed, we proposed that, in tribute to her, it should be made a new criminal offence to leave children aged under 12 on their own, without reasonable excuse. Such a law exists in other countries and works well.

F. The petition calling for a change in the law to prevent people leaving young children on their own

Our Secretary, Tony Bennett, created a petition on the Prime Minister’s website calling on the Prime Minister to pass a new law making it a criminal offence to leave children under 12 on their own, without reasonable excuse. It ran from 9 February 2008 to 8 February 2009 and attracted 740 signatures, well above the 500 needed at the time to trigger a formal response from the Prime Minister.

This was the Prime Minister’s response:

“Government does not bring up children - parents do, and it is parents who are best placed to decide when their

child or children may be left alone. Parents should consider not just the age of their children but wider issues of development, resilience and maturity.

“There is no statute that sets out a minimum age below which a child may be left alone. If anyone has concerns about the welfare of a child who is left alone, irrespective of their age, they should follow the standard procedures set out in Working Together to Safeguarding Children for making a referral to either the Local Authority children’s social care services or the police. These statutory agencies will then follow their normal processes for assessing whether the child is a child in need or at risk of suffering harm and deciding what action should be taken to safeguard the child’s welfare”.

It was a most disappointing response, but we shall continue to campaign on this issue.

There is evidence, sadly, that more and more young children are being left on their own to suit their parents’ convenience. It is clear to us that the existing law is not clear or tough enough.

by Searcgforthetruth 15.11.14 9:28

"Only a quarter of parents thought it acceptable to leave a ten-year-old for an hour, and 7 per cent believed that applied to an eight-year-old. Currently, the law says only that parents should not leave children alone if they are placed at risk, but there is no minimum age."

A read across could be that 93% of the UK population believe the McCanns should be charged with child neglect.

by kinell 15.11.14 9:31

Shouldn't there be a 'McCann's Law' that protects all parents who leave their children alone from prosecution or going to jail or having their remaining children taken into care?

Why should some parents be prosecuted with the full force of the law when the McCann's are turned into wealthy celebrity ambassadors?

Can you do a poll / petition for that?

by Liz Eagles 15.11.14 9:59

kinell wrote:Shouldn't there be a 'McCann's Law' that protects all parents who leave their children alone from prosecution or going to jail or having their remaining children taken into care?

Why should some parents be prosecuted with the full force of the law when the McCann's are turned into wealthy celebrity ambassadors?

Can you do a poll / petition for that?

The Paynes took their tots on a family holiday, complete with granny in tow - and went from a first floor apartment to dine with their chums every evening with the excuse that they had a state-of-the-art, super-dooper baby alarm.

The Paynes were dining and relying on batteries and radio contact and I assume relying on digital flashing lights and perhaps possibly hearing their kids in the throes of a noisy evening.

The Paynes did not leave the table to check their children according to them.

The Paynes relied on a baby monitor so they say.

The grandmother of the Payne's children also placed trust in such a monitor as she thought it was ok to leave her grandchildren alone in a first floor apartment which let's face it couldn't be seen from the Tapas Bar and would have taken a bit longer to reach to check than the others of the Tapas crew.

Perhaps Sky can run a programme on how to get a Payne baby monitor to allow you to nip down to the local pub/shops/petrol station/school run - then all parents in UK can be assured that this is well within the bounds of responsible parenting.

I look forward to that!

by palm tree 15.11.14 10:51

I used a baby monitor, for 12 stairs above me, any noise, and I was flying back upstairs so still didn't trust them! I can't really vote because I think under 14yrs (youngest for me, my oldest is 12 so not sure how I'd feel when he's 14) should never be left under any circumstances.

New YouGov poll supports Madeleine Foundation's campaign for a MADELEINE'S LAW to make it a specific crime to leave young children on their own

There should be a Madeleine's Law to make it a crime to leave children under 12 on their own without reasonable excuse

New YouGov poll supports Madeleine Foundation's campaign for a MADELEINE'S LAW to make it a specific crime to leave young children on their own

Amelie McCann (aged 2): "Maddie's jammies!".

93% believe it's wrong to leave a child under 9 years of old.

Re: New YouGov poll supports Madeleine Foundation's campaign for a MADELEINE'S LAW to make it a specific crime to leave young children on their own

Re: New YouGov poll supports Madeleine Foundation's campaign for a MADELEINE'S LAW to make it a specific crime to leave young children on their own

Re: New YouGov poll supports Madeleine Foundation's campaign for a MADELEINE'S LAW to make it a specific crime to leave young children on their own

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