Offences of this nature can vary widely from abuse and neglect of a child to kidnap and infanticide. It is an offence to expose a minor to danger by committing an act or not carrying out the duty to care for your child appropriately; i.e not feeding or clothing your child adequately. There are a number of parental responsibilities involved in managing the welfare of your children and in some instances parents fall below their duties. Parents may mistakenly find themselves in a position where they have exposed their child to risk/harm but have not foreseen this. Commonly such cases are reported to the police by a third party or social services.
In some instances parents unknowingly cross the limit of physical chastisement so that it can no longer be considered as reasonable punishment and is seen by the police as an offence of assault. Commonly, injuries on children are reported to the police by social workers or the child’s other parent/carer.
Under the Education Act 1996 if a child of compulsory school age who is registered to a school fails to attend regularly his parent is guilty of an offence. Parents are commonly accused by the council for failing in their duty of schooling their children and face appearing before a Court.
Our solicitors have experience in representing parents from various backgrounds and traditions. We understand the delicate nature of such cases and the impact they can have on family life. If you are facing allegations of this nature, contact us now to discuss your case in detail.