Parents of Genevieve Meehan fight for law change after nine-month-old killed by nursery worker

ITV Granada Reports journalist Emma Sweeney spoke exclusively to Genevieve's parents Katie Wheeler and John Meehan

A mother whose "precious" nine-month-old baby girl was suffocated to death at nursery says she is haunted by the details of her daughter's final moments.

CCTV captured Genevieve Meehan struggling to breath after being tightly swaddled and strapped face down on a beanbag for more than an hour and a half at Tiny Toes nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, in May 2022.

Kate Roughley, who was the nursery's deputy manager at the time of baby Genevieve's death, was found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for 14 years in May 2024.

Katie Wheeler and John Meehan, Genevieve's parents, have now launched a campaign to improve safety standards in early years settings, which would include compulsory CCTV in nurseries and mandatory safe sleep training for staff.

In a joint exclusive with Manchester Evening News, and in the first interview since launching their campaign, Katie and John have vowed for urgent change to help "stop other parents suffering in the way that we have suffered".

"We really feel that this campaign is a way that we can show our devotion to Genevieve," Katie said.

Genevieve's parents remember their "beautiful" baby girl

When Katie and John first sent Genevieve to Tiny Toes they say they were struck by the staff who appeared to be "highly trained" in first aid, which was "really important to us in terms of the safety".

Genevieve - described as a "beautiful, wonderful, very special little person" - had been a premature baby so the parents say they were extra cautious and "quite anxious about her going to nursery".

Baby Gigi, as she was known to her family, had only attended daycare eight times before Katie received the call no parent should ever have to receive; the nursery staff had "gone to wake Genevieve up from her sleep, and she was limp and blue".

"When we got to the hospital - it was absolutely life-shattering because I didn't know that she'd died by that point", Katie said.

"It wasn't until trial that I realised that she had already died.

"When I was on the phone to the nursery, she was already dead, but I still thought that she'd be okay. I thought that they they'd be able to do something to help her."

The medical staff tried for 40 minutes to resuscitate Genevieve but she died at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport, at 4:09pm.

"She'd only just recently got a two bottom teeth," Katie said. "You could see them when they put the tube in - her little mouth was open."

She added: "It seems so impossible, and you're just so desperate, you think, 'I saw you this morning and you were absolutely fine. You're this living being that is so loved, it can't possibly happen'."

Katie, Genevieve's mum, describes the moment she realised her "wonderful" daughter had died.

During the trial, the court was shown CCTV footage of Tiny Toes nursery which captured the moment Genevieve was tightly swaddled and placed face down on a bean bag by nursery worker Kate Roughley.

The baby girl was left in a "very unsafe sleeping environment" at the nursery which led to her death.

"The images are in your mind every day", Katie added. "All throughout the day. You try and sort of live with those, which is impossible."

Roughley, now 38, who is from Stockport, was found guilty of unlawful act manslaughter by a unanimous jury of six men and six women and jailed for 14 years at Manchester Crown Court.

Genevieve's parents say they heard a number of details about how their daughter died for the first time in court.

"Hearing those things for the first time about how Genevieve struggled and how she was left, were so horrendous," Katie said.

"Hearing about the songs that were made up about Genevieve - one of the things that I found very difficult to hear was about the toy that was thrown at her."

They have now launched an urgent campaign to improve safety standards in early years settings.

They want to see compulsory CCTV in nursery settings; routine unannounced inspections by Ofsted; clear, statutory safe sleep guidance for early years settings; mandatory safe sleep training for all nursery staff and Ofsted inspectors, and clear statutory guidance as to the use of sleep products.

"There are changes that could be made quickly and changes that would have a real impact on the safety of children," John said.

"CCTV was absolutely crucial in Genevieve's case because we simply would have no answers as to what happened. We'd be left in a situation where Genevieve died. We wouldn't know the reason.

"What would have been no accountability at all. No justice at all for what happened to Genevieve. It's only through the CCTV that we actually have an answer to what occurred in that nursery on that day."

The family are calling for people to write to their local MP to support their campaign.

Tom Morrison, Liberal Democrat MP for Cheadle, recently put forward an Early Day Motion on "safe sleeping standards in early years settings" in Parliament in support of the bereaved parents' campaign.

The parents, who have launched a campaign to make early years settings safer, say CCTV was crucial in getting justice for what happened to Genevieve.

"I think the campaign for us is, in a strange way, a way to be her parents because you're desperate to do anything for her," Katie said.

"You've got so much love and the time and the energy that you do because you've prepared for them coming into the world. There's nowhere for it to go."

Katie and John, who live in Stockport, say their lives have been "altered forever" since the death of their "wonderful" daughter who "loved her teddies, music and dancing".

"It was excruciating. It felt physically painful, and going every day was so hard," Katie said. "Sometimes it's like she's just asleep upstairs because that's any time she's ever really away from us."

She added: "It's so important to us that other parents don't suffer in the way that that we have suffered.

"We really feel that that this campaign is a way, that we can show our devotion, to Genevieve and to be doing this for Genevieve."

Katie and John will meet Education Minister for Early Education Stephen Morgan in a few weeks to discuss the campaign.

The family of Genevieve is calling for:

• Compulsory CCTV in nursery settings

• Unannounced inspections by Ofsted to be routine in early years settings

• Review of CCTV footage during Ofsted inspections

• Clear, statutory safe sleep guidance for early years settings

• Mandatory safe sleep training for all nursery staff and Ofsted inspectors and

• Clear statutory guidance as to the use of sleep products in early years settings

A spokesperson for Ofsted said it would be inappropriate to comment on the campaign due to the ongoing Health and Safety investigation and coronial process.

But, they added: "Our thoughts remain with Genevieve’s family and we are deeply sorry for their loss."

A Department for Education spokesperson said the government was "committed to doing everything possible to keep children safe".

“Genevieve’s death was a tragedy and should never have happened," it said.

"This government is committed to doing everything possible keep children safe, as part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.

“We are introducing a wide range of strengthened safeguarding measures from September 2025, including enhanced recruitment practices to further prevent unsuitable individuals from working with children and new whistleblowing requirements to help ensure that all early years educators understand how to escalate any safeguarding concerns.

“We will continue to closely monitor whether any further changes are needed to keep children as safe as possible.”

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