UK Government points mad assertion telling Brits it will not power you to avoid wasting anybody ‘at risk’
The campaign has quickly gathered over 16,000 signatures, clearing the threshold to trigger an official response from the Government on February 9, but the response is very bizarre
The Government says no . . . (Image: PRU/AFP via Getty Images)
The UK Government has issued a bizarre statement officially stating it has no plans to make it a criminal offence to abandon someone whose life is at risk – claiming that legally requiring people to act could “unfairly penalise” them.
The shocking declaration from the Ministry of Justice came in response to a grieving brother’s campaign to introduce “duty to rescue” laws in the UK, following the tragic and preventable death of his sister.
Jonathan Haggerty launched the parliamentary petition after his sister, Danielle, died from asphyxiation during a domestic incident in 2023. She was locked in a property and died as a result of being left completely alone.
Desperate to ensure no one else suffers the same agonizing fate, Jonathan’s petition urged lawmakers to make it a crime to abandon someone in immediate danger without seeking help. He noted that other countries already have similar laws in place to protect vulnerable people and encourage intervention.
The campaign has quickly gathered over 16,000 signatures, clearing the threshold to trigger an official response from the Government on February 9. However, instead of promising reform, the Government essentially shrugged its shoulders.
The Ministry of Justice stated: “Currently, the Government has no plans to legislate to make it a crime for a person to leave someone on their own who may be vulnerable, in danger and in need help.”
Officials admitted that while failing to do “the right thing” in life-or-death situations might seem “reprehensible,” the law in England and Wales ordinarily carries no liability for failing to act unless a specific duty of care – such as a parent to a child, or a caregiver to a patient – already exists.
Defending its controversial stance, the Government argued that creating a “duty to rescue” law would present “considerable challenges.”
“In effect, even a limited offence could unfairly penalise individuals who, without medical knowledge or other expertise in responding to emergencies, may find themselves unable to act in such situations,” the official statement read.
However, the petition does not ask everyday people to perform complex, heroic medical interventions; it specifically asks to make it an offence to abandon someone “without seeking help.” Critics of the Government’s response point out that “seeking help” usually just requires making a simple 999 phone call, something that requires zero medical expertise.
While other nations mandate that citizens at least alert emergency services when someone is dying, the UK Government has drawn a firm line in the sand: you are under absolutely no legal obligation to dial 999 or try to save a life.
The petition remains open until June 22, 2026. If it reaches 100,000 signatures, the issue will be considered for a debate in Parliament, where lawmakers may be forced to explain their stance on the chamber floor.
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