Child cruelty

The definitive guidelines on sentencing child cruelty were issued on 6 September 2018 and came into force on 1 January 2019.

• Causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm/ Causing or allowing a child to die
• Cruelty to a child – assault and ill treatment, abandonment, neglect, and failure to protect
• Failing to protect a girl from risk of genital mutilation

On 7 March 2023 the Council published updated guidelines to reflect changes in legislation and introduce a new very-high culpability level for the most serious cases following the introduction of new maximum sentences by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 for these offences:

• Causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm/ Causing or allowing a child to die; and
• Cruelty to a child – assault and ill treatment, abandonment, neglect, and failure to protect

Related documents

To support the guidelines and consultations, the Council publishes a range of documents. These documents may include consultation responses, statistical bulletins, resource and equality impact assessments and guideline assessments.

Related documents: Child cruelty

Archived

Previous archived versions of guidelines can be found below:

• Sentencing Council: Child cruelty – Definitive guideline
• Sentencing Guidelines Council Magistrates Court Sentencing Guidelines: Cruelty to a child (pages 46-47)
• Sentencing Guidelines Council: Overarching Principles: Assaults on children and cruelty to a child