Calls for tougher safety laws to ensure Liverpool teenager didn't die in vain
Gabriel Santer died after falling from the top of a multi-storey car park in Liverpool city centre
The dad of a teenager who died after falling from a multi-story car park in Liverpool wants safety reforms to ensure his teenage son's death was not in vain.
Maria Eagle, the Labour MP for Garston and Halewood, fought back tears as she proposed "Gabe's Law" to the House of Commons in memory of Gabriel Santer.
The 15-year-old died after falling from the top of a multi-storey car park in Liverpool city centre in October 2020.
Ms Eagle's proposals seek to "substantially" increase the legal minimum height of barriers on top of car parks from the current level of 1.1 metres.
Her Multi-Storey Car Parks (Safety) Bill would also require such sites to be staffed 24 hours a day.
Ms Eagle told the Commons: "Gabe's father, my constituent Jonny Santer, is determined to ensure that Gabe's death will not be in vain.
"He wants to make sure that no other person finds it so shockingly easily possible to fall or to jump from an open-roofed multi-storey car park.
"I want to help him achieve that aim."
MPs were told it is unclear how many people die after falling from multi-storey car parks, with Ms Eagle noting newspaper reports showed there were at least 17 deaths in England in a 12-month period in 2022.
Ms Eagle said Q-Park operates the car park where Gabriel fell to his death, adding: "It seems clear that the legal minimum height must be increased and a requirement to retrofit existing car parks be included if Q-Park is to take these safety concerns seriously and finally increase the height of their barriers.
"And having car park staff can only increase safety levels.
"So if Mr Santer is to achieve his goal of ensuring that Gabriel did not die in vain and that some good can come out of this terrible tragedy, then the law must be changed and it's for us to do it."
She added: "I think it'd be appropriate, should I receive permission to introduce such a Bill and the Bill receives royal assent, to refer to it as 'Gabe's Law'."
Ms Eagle's voice cracked with emotion as she concluded: "He was a fine young lad with so much promise who died too soon and so needlessly."
The MP asked for her Bill to receive a second reading on March 17.
It is unlikely to become law in its current form due to a lack of parliamentary time.
Q-Park has been approached for comment.