Families criticise delay in enforcing Jade's Law
Families say they feel let down that Jade's Law, passed over two years ago to suspend killers' parental rights, is not yet in force, while the government says it will apply from 18 December.
How it was covered
- Sky News was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on the delay in enforcing Jade's Law and bereaved families' anger.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC One, Channel 4, GB News and ITV: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Sky News has reported that families are criticising the delay in enforcing Jade's Law, which was passed more than two years ago to suspend the parental rights of people who kill their children's other parent. The law is still not in force.
In a report by Molly Malone, Isabella Knight's parents said they felt completely let down. Sky News reported that Knight was 32 and a mother of two when her husband, a cocaine addict, strangled her while their two daughters slept.
The report said her husband was in prison but had still been able to make decisions about and influence his children's lives. Knight's older daughter was frightened and asked questions at bedtime about the prison doors, the prison guards and whether her father could come through the front door, Sky News reported.
Sky News reported that families feared the delay left killers with control from prison. A family member said a parent could block a name change, object to a move abroad or to another area, and refuse vaccinations. 'He will control from within the prison cell,' she said.
The report said the case was not isolated. Other families who had lost a loved one and seen a conviction had hoped Jade's Law would suspend the convicted father's parental responsibility, only to learn that the law had not been enacted and that they would face the family court process.
The sentencing minister said in a statement reported by Sky News that children's safety must always come first. The minister said that from 18 December, Jade's Law would automatically restrict the exercise of parental responsibility for parents who murder their child's other parent. The statement also said courts would no longer be required to presume that each parent should be involved in a child's life, while making clear that involvement should continue where it was safe and in the child's best interests.
Knight's parents said the delay had caused further pain. 'Feel completely let down,' one said. 'And quite frankly, I think it's very disrespectful of the system to not have enacted Jade's law.'
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Isabella Knight, a 32-year-old mother of two, was murdered by her husband. | |
| Jade's Law, not yet in force, will automatically restrict parental responsibility for parents who murder their child's other parent from 18 December. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News gave the story a single packaged report, led by the human impact on Isabella Knight's family and other bereaved families. It contrasted the delay with the minister's statement that the law will apply from 18 December. The tone was sympathetic to the families and critical of the wait.
- “Feel completely let down.”
- “I think it's very disrespectful of the system to not have enacted Jade's law.”
- “He will control from within the prison cell.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.