Petition to criminalise those who refuse to financially support their children. Please sign to get the ball rolling.

[CreviceImp]

Dear Kerry Howard,

You’re not done yet!

Forward the email below to your potential supporters.

5 people need to click the link and confirm their support for us to publish your petition.

Thanks,
The Petitions team
UK Government and Parliament

I’ve made a petition – will you sign it?

Click this link to sign the petition:
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/125688/sponsors/qBY8kE9yBaWIHzJUfdb5

My petition:

Non-resident parents who fail to pay child maintenance should be criminalised.

Non-resident parents with the financial means who repeatedly fail to financially support their child/ren should be prosecuted for child neglect. Failure to contribute towards housing,clothing and feeding your child/ren constitutes child abuse and should be criminalised accordingly.

Thanks in advance x 🙂

[AliceInUnderpants]

Signed. Thank you.

[KathrynL]

I dot agree with it, not one bit so I won't be signing it.

[CreviceImp]

Thank-you. Just had confirmation they are checking that it meets 'petition standards' and then it will be published.

Will popped on a link and update when I have more information.

[CreviceImp]

Why don't you agree KathrynL? You think those neglecting their financial responsibilities towards their child/ren is acceptable?

[KathrynL]

I don't think it is acceptable but I don't think it should invite a criminal charge either.

[CuppaTeaAndAJammieDodger]

Signed

[CreviceImp]

Thank-you everyone. Loads of signatures already.

You never know this could be the start of something that ultimately changes this continued injustice

[LurkingHusband]

Signed, but I will note:

with the financial means

we already read daily here about problems proving this. What will change when this law is passed ?

Also, there's a practical note that criminalising people is certainly going to reduce their earning potential, which might not be the best for their children.

Personally I have little time, sympathy, or care for feckless fathers. However, I also have no solution .

If nothing else, this should promote discussion and prompt some scrutiny.

[deliciousdevilwoman]

Signed

[Totesgawjushun69]

Are you equally in favour of criminalising resident parents who despite receiving child support refuse to allow access to the child/ren?

[CreviceImp]

Kathryn if you was the resident parent who chose not to house/feed/clothe your child/ren it would be a criminal matter. The fact that children don't live with non paying NRPs doesn't make their actions any less criminal. Their refusal to contribute means they are neglecting their children because they have EQUAL responsibility in meeting their child/ren's basic needs and they are refusing to do so.

[CreviceImp]

Totes- I think that is a separate issue. It not pay per view. There is a rigorous court system to implement child access arrangements that parents can access.

[juniperdingleberries]

I don't agree with this either, sorry OP.

[LizKeen]

I don't agree that it should be criminalized, but maybe over reaching is OK if there is some kind of middle ground reached that holds NRPs who won't pay to account.

I can't sign it right now anyway, but I was going to say I would think about it and make a decision. So I will think about it and sign in a few days if I decide to.

[CreviceImp]

Can you explain what you have an issue with exactly?

[Totesgawjushun69]

Creviceklmp but if the NRP knows the child's needs are being met then there isn't any abuse is there? Sure, they are a shitty human being to not contribute but it isn't abuse.

If however they know the child isn't having their basic needs met then I think you enter an area that could legally be considered neglectful. But you would surely then run the risk of the RP being considered as being negligent/ abusing the child.

The content of the petition is a nice idea but wouldn't practically work.

[Totesgawjushun69]

There may be a system to arrange access but there is nothing worthwhile that can be done if the RP doesn't play ball.

[CreviceImp]

Personally I think theire needs to be a seismic shift in terms of how society views those who refuse to maintain their children. Criminalising behaviour would certainly send out a strong message and might ultimately deter those who don't feel they should meet their responsibilities.

How is not contributing towards your child/ren most basic requirements anything other than child neglect? It also needs to be noted that this is financial abuse of the other parent who is shouldering the burden.

[LurkingHusband]

Personally I think theire needs to be a seismic shift in terms of how society views those who refuse to maintain their children

Can't disagree with that.

[cannotlogin]

I don't think it is acceptable but I don't think it should invite a criminal charge either

So the answer is demonize single parents for having had children with men who won't support their children? For us to just shrug our shoulders and say 'well, you had children with him, go out and work' (said equally to working single mums as non-working single mums). To forget that this issue not only affects single mums?

How do you propose those who refuse to support their children should be managed in society if criminialisation isn't the answer?

[HirplesWithHaggis]

How are people signing it? I'm just getting a notice that it needs ro be checked before publishing.

I'm not sure I'd go so far as criminalising, but seizure of assets (bank balance, car, jewellery, even house) should be much easier.

[CreviceImp]

Totes - just because someone is meeting some of a child's needs doesn't mean that those who should be doing it and aren't ,aren't neglecting their child.

Take for instance a teacher who washes and dries the clothes of a pupil because they are getting bullied because they smell. That child has clean clothes but the parent has still been neglectful in their duties towards the child in keeping them cleaned.

It is the job of both parents to maintain a child- it's not optional.

[KatherineMumsnet]

We're just going to move this one over to our NFP topic.

[LizKeen]

But criminalizing it will end up counterproductive.

So a NR father doesn't pay. He then goes to prison, where he isn't earning so can't support. He then gets out of prison and now has a criminal record which makes getting a job more difficult and could lead to homelessness, unemployment etc and he still cannot support.

Yes, they need to be held to account, but giving them a criminal record is only going to make them resent their kids, rather than want to support them.

It needs widespread discussion. But while the majority of NRPs are men that won't happen because it is too easy to vilify the mothers. It is too easy to claim it is women who don't allow access that are the real cause of the issue.

There is a man I know within my family who has posted that women who deny access should be jailed. Which is rich, considering it was the courts who denied him access because he was violent towards her and SS had deemed the children at risk from him too. But its all "that bitches fault".

The problem stems further back than criminalization. It is about society's attitudes towards single female parents and men's attitudes towards women. If a man who strangles and repeatedly beats his partner is still walking free, with no criminal record, I fail to see how this country will ever convict a man for withholding money from his kids.

[SofiaAmes]

Here in the USA, enforcing child support payments is soooo much easier than in the UK. Once an order for support has been issued by the court, then if the parent doesn't pay, they can have their wages docked or lose their driver license or get put in jail. Showing compliance with child support payments is in any basic job application, or receiving government benefits.
I can't understand why anyone thinks there shouldn't be a system of enforcement.