Petition in memory of murdered schoolgirl April Jones calling for tougher laws for sex offenders is set to be debated in Parliament
A PETITION in memory of murdered schoolgirl April Jones calling for tougher laws for sex offenders is set to be debated in Parliament after hitting 100,000 signatures.
‘April’s Law’ demands sex predators stay on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life, tougher sentences for those caught looking at child porn and stricter policing by internet search engines.
The petition was launched by April’s parents Coral and Paul Jones after the five-year-old was murdered by paedophile Mark Bridger, who abducted her from outside her home in Machynlleth, mid Wales, in October 2012 after looking at child pornography.
And the campaign, spearheaded by The Sun, reached the crucial six-figure mark meaning it will now be considered for debate by MPs.
Mum Coral, 45, said: “April was an innocent five-year-old girl who went through hell, we don’t want other families to go through what we went through, that’s why we want action now, for April.
“If we can save one child, then it will have been worth it.”
Three years ago, the previous petition received more than 70,000 signatures but failed to reach the necessary figure to trigger a House of Commons debate.
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But the current campaign now has over 113,000 backers.
Tory MP for Montgomeryshire Glyn Davies is now preparing to take the petition to Westminster.
He told The Sun: “It’s brilliant news and I will speak with the backbench committee now to arrange a debate in the House of Commons.
“This will mean a lot to Coral and Paul but it will also mean a lot to the town of Machynlleth.
“Anybody who is involved in the abuse of children deserves everything the State throws at them.
“The abduction and murder of April brought this issue to the forefront of UK news and indeed the world and there are still people who are acting illegally on the internet, who are finding new ways to hide, and it must be stopped.”
During his trial, it emerged he possessed 500 sexually explicit images of children on his computer.
Coral said they are disappointed that, in the years since, “nothing more has been done”.
But she added: “We would like to thank everyone who has signed and shared the petition regarding April’s Law. The support has been so overwhelming.”
After reaching the milestone, the Home Office responded to the petition, adding: “The public should rest assured that sex offenders will not automatically come off the register, the order only provides a mechanism by which a sex offender can apply for a review.”
A spokesman for The NSPCC told The Sun: “Before anyone comes off the sex offenders' register they should undergo a risk assessment and if they still pose a threat to children they must remain on it.”
In 2013, the Jones family met with Prime Minister David Cameron and Sara Payne, whose eight-year-old daughter Sarah was killed by Roy Whiting in 2000.
Sara had battled for ten years to get Sarah’s Law passed, which gave parents and guardians the right to ask police if someone has a record for child sexual offences.
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