Cruelty to a child – assault and ill treatment, abandonment, neglect, and failure to protect

Children and Young Persons Act 1933, s1(1) · Triable either way

Sentencing framework

The guideline for sentencing addresses the offence of cruelty to a child by first assessing the offender's culpability and the harm caused. Offenders are categorized based on the severity of their actions and the resultant harm to the victim. A starting point for sentencing is established, along with a range of possible sentences adjusted for aggravating and mitigating factors.

Maximum sentence

14 years’ custody for offences committed on or after 28 June 2022; otherwise 10 years’ custody

Court

Triable either way

Starting point

9 years’ custody

Offence range

Community order – 12 years’ custody

Aggravating factors

·Previous convictions
·Offence committed whilst on bail
·Failure to seek medical help
·Commission of offence whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs
·Deliberate concealment and/or covering up of the offence
·Blame wrongly placed on others
·Failure to respond to interventions or warnings about behaviour
·Threats to prevent reporting of the offence
·Failure to comply with current court orders
·Offence committed on licence or post sentence supervision

Mitigating factors

·No previous convictions or no relevant/recent convictions
·Remorse
·Determination and demonstration of steps having been taken to address addiction or offending behaviour
·Sole or primary carer for dependent relatives
·Good character and/or exemplary conduct
·Serious medical condition requiring urgent, intensive or long-term treatment
·Mental disorder, learning disability
·Co-operation with the investigation

Sentencing range explorer

Select the culpability level and harm category to see the guideline's starting point and category range. This is an educational illustration of the published guideline — not a sentence calculation, and not legal advice. Courts apply the full step-by-step process, aggravating and mitigating factors, and the totality principle.

Culpability

Harm

Select a culpability level and a harm category above.

The sentencing process, step by step

Step 1 — determining the offence category
Step 2 — starting point and category range
Step 3 — consider any factors which indicate a reduction for assistance to the prosecution
Step 4 — reduction for guilty pleas
Step 5 — parental responsibilities of sole or primary carers
Step 6 — dangerousness
Step 7 — totality principle
Step 8 — ancillary orders
Step 9 — reasons
Step 10 — consideration for time spent on bail (tagged curfew)

Always read the full guideline

This is a one-page summary. For any live case, sentencing exercise, or legal advice the authoritative source is the Sentencing Council's own definitive guideline — including the category bands, step-by-step sentencing approach, and all statutory factors not captured here.

Open the full guideline on sentencingcouncil.org.uk

Source: Sentencing Council · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-28. Not legal advice — see a regulated adviser for any live case.