Proposed law 'could stop horrific deaths', campaigners say

Campaigners are calling for a new law to be introduced to prevent further "horrific deaths" after a 15-year-old boy drowned in a canal.

A public consultation on extending the current manslaughter law in England and Wales to cover gross negligence that causes a person’s death is set to be launched by the government this summer, following repeated calls from campaigners.

The move comes after schoolboy Robert Hattersley, from Denton, Greater Manchester, died in 2015 after he fell into a canal while playing with friends.

His mother, Lesley Hattersley, has been campaigning for changes to the law ever since, and has welcomed the news of the consultation.

She said: "No parent should have to go through what I have been through. Robert's death was a horrific accident, but it could have been prevented.

"I am calling on the government to act now and introduce a new law to stop other families from having to suffer the same pain."

The current manslaughter law in England and Wales only covers cases where a person deliberately kills another person, or where they are guilty of gross negligence that causes the death of another person.

The proposed new law would extend the definition of manslaughter to include cases where a person is guilty of gross negligence that causes the death of another person, even if they did not intend to kill them.

This would mean that people who are responsible for deaths caused by gross negligence could be prosecuted for manslaughter, even if they did not intend to cause harm.

The government has said that it is committed to improving safety in public spaces, and that it will consider the responses to the consultation carefully before making a decision on whether to introduce a new law.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: "The death of any young person is a tragedy, and our sympathies are with Robert Hattersley's family.

"We are committed to improving safety in public spaces, and we will consider the responses to the consultation carefully before making a decision on whether to introduce a new law."