Petitions/Legislate to apply current abuse laws to historic cases, including sentencing
StatusOngoing
Opened24 Jul 2026
Closes
Government response
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones

We urge the Government to pass a law to apply current abuse laws to historic abuse cases and ensure all laws and sentencing frameworks reflect our current understanding of trauma and barriers to disclosure; ensuring survivors receive fair treatment and meaningful access to justice.

We believe the law has changed to reflect society's understanding of the seriousness & lasting impact of historic abuse. However, many legal cases and decisions are governed by laws that existed when the abuse occurred. We believe this risks creating injustice, as it fails to recognise the realities faced by many victims. Survivors do not always disclose abuse immediately due to fear, trauma, shame, manipulation, or a lack of support. In many cases, disclosure can occur years or even decades after the abuse.

10,000
100,000

Constituency engagement ranking

Alex McIntyre
1Alex McIntyre MP
Gloucester
11
Tom Rutland
2Tom Rutland MP
East Worthing and Shoreham
10
Andrew Rosindell
3Andrew Rosindell MP
Romford
2
Ian Sollom
4Ian Sollom MP
St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire
2
Dr Beccy Cooper
5Dr Beccy Cooper MP
Worthing West
2
Luke Murphy
6Luke Murphy MP
Basingstoke
1
Barry Gardiner
7Barry Gardiner MP
Brent West
1
Chris Ward
8Chris Ward MP
Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven
1
Max Wilkinson
9Max Wilkinson MP
Cheltenham
1
Taiwo Owatemi
10Taiwo Owatemi MP
Coventry North West
1