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Child neglect and child cruelty cover a range of serious offences in the UK, from physical assault to abandonment of a child under your care. Even just the accusation of these crimes can damage your reputation in your community, and have profound implications for your family life. Unfortunately, these accusations are becoming more common. The government has increased funding to particular agencies, education establishments, local authorities and the police to enable them to work together to safeguard children and other vulnerable individuals. Since the increase in funding, there has been a dramatic increase in prosecutions.
At Tyler Hoffman Solicitors, we understand the gravity of facing a child neglect or cruelty accusation, let alone formal charges - that's why we advise you to get in touch with us as soon as you can. We can look closely at the evidence, and make sure you have the chance to fully defend yourself against these allegations. We have helped many others in your situation with discreet, pragmatic and non-judgemental guidance - so get in touch today.
Call us on 03300 536786
Why Choose Our Child Neglect Solicitors?
We support people who are facing daunting allegations and need legal help. Our service is founded on these pillars:
The Children and Young Persons Act 1933, particularly Section 1, defines the offence of child cruelty, which includes neglect. This section was amended by the Serious Crime Act 2015 to modernise the language and clarify that these crimes encompass both the physical and non-physical ill-treatment of children and young persons. Under this law, an individual aged 16 or over who has responsibility for a child below that age commits an offence if they wilfully assault, ill-treat (whether physical abuse or otherwise), neglect, abandon, or expose the child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health.
The Children Act 1989 further reinforces the legal framework by imposing duties on local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Section 17 of the Act outlines the provision of services for children in need, while Section 47 places a duty on local authorities to investigate if they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child in their area is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm. In recent years, this duty has led to an increase in the volume of allegations being made.
It is only right these laws should exist to protect children from physical and emotional harm. However, sometimes accusations are made without basis, or while lacking the full facts. This has led to innocent people's lives and reputations being torn up, without them ever having a chance to defend themselves - or put across their side of the story.
Facing allegations of child neglect is a profoundly challenging experience, especially when the stakes involve the potential removal of your children from your care. Many of these cases stem from local authority children's services assessing that neglect has occurred, which could be any of the following types:
If you believe the social services may be making these kinds of allegations about your family, you should seek immediate legal advice.
Convictions for child neglect cases can result in severe penalties, including imprisonment, fines or both. They can also have a severe impact on your family - you may be in danger of having your children removed from your custody. The severity of the penalty will ultimately depend on factors such as the extent of harm caused to the child, whether very young children were involved, and whether the neglect can be viewed as reckless or intentional, alongside any other aggravating circumstances.
You should request Tyler Hoffman Solicitors to represent you during any police interviews or proceedings. If you did not get prior notice of your arrest, call us straight from the police station any time day or night - we answer our phones 24/7.
Always remain calm and cooperative. No matter how nervous or angry you may feel, take a breath and keep a cool head. Maintain your composure and cooperate with law enforcement until your legal counsel can get out to you.
Whatever you do, don’t answer questions or provide statements without your solicitor present to protect your rights.
We deal with a wide range of child neglect cases, so it is impossible to estimate how much our services will cost without speaking to you about your particular situation. Our fee will depend on how complex your case is, and whether there will be other expenses, such as court fees.
For more information about how Tyler Hoffman can assist you with a child neglect accusation, call our 24/7 accessible law firm today for an initial consultation on 03300 536 786, or fill out the contact form on this page to submit your query and arrange for a call at a time that suits you.
Tyler Hoffman provides skilled defence for individuals accused of arson, addressing both the intentional setting of fires and the resulting damage or harm. We focus on challenging the evidence of intent and examining the circumstances that led to the fire, aiming to reduce or dismiss charges based on factual and technical analyses.