Maya’s Law – PM vows to support family of Maya Chappell

Earlier this week, the family of Maya, who died in 2022 after being violently shaken by her mother’s new partner, revealed that they had received a confirmed debate on their Maya’s Law campaign, which The Northern Echo is backing.

Maya Chappell (Image: FAMILY)

In September last year, Maya’s great aunts, Gemma Chappell and Rachael Walls, set up the Maya’s Law campaign, looking to bring in a Child Risk Disclosure Scheme (CRDS), which would allow families to request information about a partner or caregiver’s violent or abusive history, similar to Clare’s Law and Sarah’s Law.

Defenceless Maya died in Newcastle’s RVI in September 2022, days after being violently shaken by her mother’s new partner, Michael Daymond, at their home in Shotton Colliery, County Durham.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to the Walbottle Academy Campus in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Image: Scott Heppell/PA Wire)

Daymond was jailed for life, while Maya’s mother, Dana Carr, was handed a nine-year sentence for allowing her daughter’s death.

So far in the campaign, Maya’s family have been able to secure more than 110,000 signatures in a petition they ran, while also getting the backing of Durham County Council, appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, and getting support of MPs in the North East and across the UK.

Maya died when she was two-years-old (Image: FAMILY)

Yesterday, (Thursday, February 26), during a visit to Walbottle Academy, near Newcastle, Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to Maya’s family and pledged the government’s entire support to the family in their battle for safeguarding changes.

The Prime Minister said: “Can I again say how tragic this case is, and I pay tribute to all of those campaigning on this.

Maya (Image: FAMILY)

“I think it’s a really important case. I think it’s also important that the Secretary of State keeps meeting with the family to see what we can do because it is a tragic case, and I want to make sure we’ve done everything we possibly can to support the family.”

When asked about whether he would attend the debate, which so far hasn’t got a date, Sir Keir said: “I think it’s really important that they’ve secured the debate. I don’t know when the debate is, but I’ll certainly be keeping a close and careful eye on it.”

Gemma Chappell, Great Aunt of Maya Chappell (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Following the Prime Minister’s comments on supporting the campaign, Maya’s great aunt, Gemma Chappell, who is a police officer from Consett, said the family were “over the moon” that the Prime Minister had pledged support for what they were doing.

“I think it’s important that the Prime Minister has pledged to support us,” Gemma said.

“To have him offer his support and potentially attend the debate is great, and might mean that it sees more MPs attend as a result.

Maya’s great aunt Gemma Chappell (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

“We set up this campaign to give children a voice, and hopefully this debate will allow us to give all of those children who have been killed a voice and bring about change.”

Despite securing the debate, which Gemma has called a “huge step on the Maya’s Law journey”, she has insisted that there are more milestones and work to be done.

Gemma wants to connect with other families in similar positions to hers, and has set her sights on having a sit-down meeting with the Prime Minister.

Maya’s great aunts, Rachael Walls (left) and Gemma Chappell (right) (Image: FAMILY)

“We need to be asking ourselves, how many more children have to die before action is taken?

“MPs who may or may not attend the debate, they have to be asking themselves if they are doing enough to protect children in their areas.

“We are more determined than ever to bring about change.”

Rachael Walls, Gemma Chappell, and Kerrie Robinson from Maya’s Law (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Under the proposed Maya’s Law and Child Disclosure Scheme, police, councils, health services and social care agencies would have a legal duty to share safeguarding information when concerns arise, ensuring families are aware of potential risks.

Gemma’s words come days after a man was jailed for at least 19 years after shaking his baby stepson to death in a fit of rage.

Thomas Morgan who has been jailed for at least 19 years after shaking his baby stepson to death in a fit of rage (Image: south Wales police)

Thomas Morgan, 29, murdered five-month-old Jensen-Lee Dougal at the family home in Swansea when he became angry following an argument with his ex-girlfriend.

At Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, Mrs Justice Stacey said Morgan had shaken Jensen-Lee in a violent attack that left him with extensive injuries.

The court previously heard the baby died in hospital after suffering catastrophic brain damage, numerous fractures and extensive retinal bleeding to both of his eyes.

Jensen-Lee Dougal (Image: south Wales police/PA Wire)

Morgan had been in a relationship with Jensen-Lee’s mother, Jordan Dougal, and was treated as the baby’s stepfather at the time of the murder.

This case, Gemma says, is the reason why Maya’s Law needs to be introduced.

While the government has insisted that it’s pursuing its schools and wellbeing bill as a fix to safeguarding issues, Gemma says that Maya’s Law needs to be a bill in its own right and can’t be “watered down”.

“The importance of introducing this law is vital, right there for all to see. We see time and time again, children dying at the hands of abusive partners,” she said.

“We want to see Maya’s Law introduced in its entirety; it’s not something we can afford to introduce halfway.”

Earlier this week, MPs from the region, alongside Durham’s police and crime commissioner, Joy Allen, pledged to support the family during the debate and called for a change in the law.

Gemma Chappell and Durham PCC Joy Allen (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Gemma’s MP and representative of Consett and Blaydon, Liz Twist, said: “I’m really pleased for the family that they have managed to secure a debate through their petition to Parliament.

“I have been supporting the campaign throughout, and I am determined to ensure that the family continue to have their voice heard.”

Durham’s police and crime commissioner, Joy Allen, who has backed the campaign from the start, has also committed to helping Maya’s family in any way she can.

She said: “Maya’s family and friends have fought tirelessly to bring this important issue to the Government’s attention, and I’m pleased to see that the massive support for their petition takes them a step further towards a debate in Parliament.

“We all have a responsibility to reduce the risk of abuse and neglect, thereby helping to protect children from this type of tragedy in the future.”

Maya’s Law proposes four key changes:

• A Child Risk Disclosure Scheme (CRDS): letting families request risk history information about caregivers.
• Mandatory information sharing between police, health, and social care agencies.

• Stronger multi-agency protocols, especially in custody and unsupervised access cases.
• New safeguarding powers for professionals to raise alerts or trigger court action, even without an active investigation.