Arthur's law: Boris backs plans to put child murderers in prison for good after Arthur Labinjo-Hughes death

Arthur's law: Boris backs plans to put child murderers in prison for good after Arthur Labinjo-Hughes death
6 Arthur
Luke Ridley

By Luke Ridley


Published: 07/12/2021

- 10:59

Updated: 07/12/2021

- 11:01

'Arthur's Law' would see anyone who carries out the murder of a child be locked away in prison indefinitely following the brutal killing of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes by his step-mother and father.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has backed proposals to never allow child killers like the step-mother and father of tragic six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes out of prison.

'Arthur's Law' would see anyone who carries out the murder be locked away in prison indefinitely.


'Anyone who plans then carries out the murder of a child should never be released from prison, so we’re toughening the law to make whole-life orders the starting point for such abhorrent crimes,' Mr Johnson told The Sun.

The PMs words come as Arthur Labinjo-Hughes' grandparents say warnings about his treatment were ignored and that the system responsible for ensuring his safety is broken.

Arthur’s stepmother Emma Tustin, 32, was jailed for life at Coventry Crown Court on Friday, with a minimum term of 29 years, after being found guilty of the six-year-old’s murder.

His father, Thomas Hughes, 29, was sentenced to 21 years for manslaughter.

The pair showed “no remorse, no sympathy”, Arthur’s maternal grandmother said, as she branded them “depraved, sadistic, torturous, evil, calculating people”.

Madeleine Halcrow, who described her grandson as having been “the happiest child” before he went to live with his father and stepmother as the UK went into lockdown in March 2020, said she felt anger towards the organisations responsible for monitoring his safety.

Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons education committee, said 100,000 pupils were 'lost in the system' and therefore vulnerable to cruelty at home.

His warning came as Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi confirmed there will be an investigation into the failings leading to the death of Arthur.

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