PETITIONOpenPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Strengthen self-defence rights for adults who intervene to protect children
We call on the Government to amend self-defence law to give explicit statutory protection to any adult who reasonably and proportionately intervenes to protect a child from immediate assault, sexual assault, or grooming.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
46
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 46/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 46/100,000
Background
We would like:
- Rebuttable presumption that force used to defend a child was reasonable.
- Immunity from “excessive force” charges when honestly believing a child was in imminent danger and acting in good faith.
We believe that too many hesitate, fearing arrest. We think this could remove that fear and encourage intervention, while keeping force proportionate.