Legal News
Parents of Cagefighting Boy Could Receive Jail Sentence (26 September 2011)
Date: 26/09/2011
A nine-year-old cagefighter has pleaded for a chance to continue to take part in contests, claiming that the sport is “good fun”. Kian Makinson was filmed cagefighting with an eight-year-old boy in front of a crowd of adults at a Preston social club. The footage has caused outrage among child and medical experts, who have called for a full investigation.
Kian Makinson’s father, Nick Hartley, a breakdown recovery driver, praised the sport for disciplining his son, who he claimed used to be naughty and disrespectful. He added that the sport caused no harm and said that if his son was not cagefighting, he would probably be found chucking stones at buses and causing others grief.
Legal experts have warned that parents who actively encourage their children to engage in cagefighting contests could receive a jail term for child cruelty. They could face prison sentences of up to six months for allowing children of primary school age to cagefight – a sport that has been described by the Culture Secretary as “barbaric”. A Crown Prosecution Service source states that any young child forced to engage in any violent sport could constitute a child cruelty offence.
Officials claim that the Greenlands New Labour Club in Preston, Lancashire, will be investigated over a potential breach of its licence conditions. Social service teams in Lancashire have confirmed that they have launched an inquiry into the cagefighting to “consider any child safety concerns”.
The child care law solicitors at Duncan Lewis specialise in providing legal advice on all aspects of child care law.