Family of woman who lay dead for hours before anyone called for help want to teach kids how to dial 999
Kimberley McAssey was found dead by emergency services at her friends house in February 2021, after he waited 30 hours to ring emergency services
The family of a young mum from Prestwich who lay dead for thirty hours before anyone called for help want schools to teach kids how to dial 999.
Kimberley McAssey was found dead by emergency services at her friends house in February 2021, after he waited hours and even went out for sandwiches before finally ringing emergency services.
The time that passed meant it wasn't possible to determine the young mums cause of death.
Her family are calling for Kimberley’s Law - to make delays like that a crime.
Whilst they petition on this proposed law, they are also wanting to educate children and teach them the importance of calling for help straight away.
Kimberley's auntie, Shelly Crooks, said: "Not even just telling them, showing them how to as well.
"And also showing them different ways to phone, so if you can't speak on the phone, press 5-5.
"It's about education as well.
"You think it's morally right for people to phone the emergency services, but not everybody does, so we think we'll start when they're young."
Kimberley's mum, Karrie, said it's crucial something changes: "It's unreal how many people have gone through it and you do think you're on your own and you think people will straight away phone the police or emergency services and they don't.
"Something's got to happen now for this to stop and to not let people go through what we've been through.
"It's still happening, isn't it? So obviously we need something to be done for it to not happen. It's just going to keep happening, and families are going to keep going through the same as what we've been through."
In their most recent statement in response to 'Kimberley's Law', the Ministry of Justice said: "The Government recognises the concerns raised by the petitioner, who seeks to make it a criminal offence for a person to deliberately delay calling emergency services, when witnessing a person in need of medical attention. The Government understands, that in many situations, a failure to act might feel morally wrong.
"At present, the Government has no plans to introduce legislation that would make it a criminal offence to delay contacting emergency services during a medical emergency.
"In England and Wales, there is currently no general legal duty requiring members of the public to call emergency services in such situations. However, a duty of care may arise under specific circumstances. For example, between a parent and a child, between spouses or between a caregiver and an elderly person. If a duty of care exists and there is a negligent breach of that duty - and that breach significantly contributed to that person’s death - then an individual may be prosecuted for gross negligence manslaughter.
"There are practical challenges to imposing a duty (backed by a criminal sanction) on all individuals to contact emergency services during medical emergencies. For example, it might be difficult for a stranger to determine whether there is a medical emergency and there may also be situations where it might endanger the person to make such a call."