Nine-month-old Genevieve Meehan, known as Gigi, died at Tiny Toes nursery in Cheadle, Stockport in May 2022. Nursery worker Kate Roughley was found guilty of manslaughter for the death and jailed for 14 years in 2024. Her parents, John and Katie Meehan, are calling for compulsory CCTV in nurseries, better guidance on safer sleep, and a more robust Ofsted inspection process.
They met with Olivia Bailey, the minister for early education, at the Department for Education in London to push for these changes. It remains unclear what specific measures, if any, Bailey agreed to implement after the meeting, and the timeline for potential policy changes regarding CCTV or Ofsted inspections is not yet known. This tragedy follows other recent cases of nursery abuse and death.
In 2024, Vincent Chan was jailed for 18 years for sexually abusing children at Bright Horizons nursery in West Hampstead, North London between 2017 and 2024. Nathan Bennett was jailed for 30 years for sexually abusing children at a nursery in Bristol. Additionally, a nursery admitted corporate manslaughter and a health and safety offence over the death of 14-month-old Noah Sibanda at Fairytales Day Nursery in Dudley in December 2022.
The Meehans' advocacy highlights growing concerns over nursery safety. The details of the 'better guidance on safer sleep' they are advocating for have not been specified, but their efforts aim to prevent future tragedies through systemic reforms.