STOP Domestic Abuse in The UK
Demand Urgent Family Court Reform NOW
Vulnerable children and adults are being put at serious risk of harm by UK family courts. YOU can do something to help.
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Two years after the Harm Report’s publication, not enough has been done to address the harm caused by the family courts to survivors and their children… survivors of domestic abuse have continued to be disbelieved, children have continued to be forced into traumatic and unsafe contact arrangements with abusive parents, perpetrators have continued to use child arrangement proceedings as a form of post separation abuse, and family court professionals have not been held accountable for their poor decision making and the trauma it has caused.
Jenny Birchall, Women’s Aid
WHY IS REFORM URGENTLY NEEDED?
Family Courts Are Harming The Most Vulnerable
The 2020 Ministry of Justice report ‘Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases’ (more commonly known as the ‘Harm Report’) “unveiled deep-seated and systemic problems with how the family courts identify, assess and manage risk to children and adults” in England and Wales.
In 2023, a report titled ‘Domestic Abuse and Child Contact: The Interface Between Criminal and Civil Proceedings’ (Burman et al) revealed similar failings in the Scottish family court system.
In spite of a series of recommendations, survivors of domestic abuse continue to report:
- court professionals’ inadequate understanding of coercive and controlling behaviour and perpetrators’ use of family proceedings as a form of post-separation abuse
- children who are traumatised and harmed by being forced to have unsafe contact with an abusive parent as a result of the family courts’ “pro-contact” culture
- children being removed from survivors due to accusations of “parental alienation” or “alienating behaviours” when concerns were raised about unsafe contact between a child and an abusive parent
You Can Help End This Appalling Scandal
LEARN HOW TO HELPTAKE ACTION NOW
STEP 1: Find your MP/MSP
Finding your MP (or MSP in Scotland) is quick and simple. Click the button below to open a search form and enter your postcode or your location.
CLICK TO FIND YOUR MP (ENGLAND & WALES) CLICK TO FIND YOUR MSP (SCOTLAND)STEP 2: Email or Write To Them Demanding Their Support For Urgent Reform
You can use one of these templates, just add your name and the name of your MP/MSP
Dear [MP’s Name] MP,
My name is [Your name] and I am a UK citizen in your constituency.
I am writing to you today because vulnerable children and adults are being put at serious risk of harm by our family courts. These courts are failing in their duty to protect survivors of domestic abuse and in many cases are supporting abusers to continue horrific campaigns of terror and intimidation.
The 2020 Ministry of Justice report ‘Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases’ (more commonly known as the ‘Harm Report’) uncovered "deep-seated and systemic problems with how the family courts identify, assess and manage risk to children and adults” in England and Wales. We now know that:
- court professionals’ understanding of coercive and controlling behaviour is inadequate and perpetrators use family proceedings as a form of post-separation abuse
- children are being traumatised and harmed by being forced to have unsafe contact with an abusive parent as a result of the family courts’ “pro-contact” culture
- children are being removed from survivors due to accusations of “parental alienation” or “alienating behaviours” when concerns are raised about unsafe contact between a child and an abusive parent
It is very clear that not enough is being done to address these issues and that urgent action is needed. I urge you to read the Women’s Aid’s report, ‘Two years, too long: Mapping action on the Harm Panel’s findings’ which outlines the shocking lack of progress in implementing the Harm Report's recommendations, resulting in more children and adults being subjected to the torture of domestic abuse.
Our family courts should protect the vulnerable from abuse, not allow it or enable it. Please raise this issue in Parliament and express your support for the recommendations made by the Harm Report in order to reform our family court system.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
[Your name]
Dear [MSP’s Name] MSP,
My name is [Your name] and I am a UK citizen in your constituency.
I am writing to you today because vulnerable children and adults are being put at serious risk of harm by our family courts. These courts are failing in their duty to protect survivors of domestic abuse and in many cases are supporting abusers to continue horrific campaigns of terror and intimidation.
The 2023 Scottish Civil Justice Hub (SCJH) report ‘Domestic Abuse and Child Contact: The Interface Between Criminal and Civil Proceedings’ (Burman et al) revealed significant failings in the Scottish family court system . We now know that:
- Within the civil justice system there is limited understanding of domestic abuse and its effect on children, and domestic abuse is not fully considered in child contact proceedings.
- A strong pro-contact philosophy in family courts too often presumes that contact is in the best interests of the child, even in cases of domestic abuse. Children are at risk of being re-traumatised by being forced into contact with a parent who has previously traumatised them.
- There are serious shortcomings in risk assessment and safety planning when determining contact arrangements in cases of domestic abuse, with relatively little consideration given to the safety of the child or the non-abusing parent.
It is very clear that not enough is being done to address these issues and that urgent action is needed. I urge you to read the SCJH report referred to above, and in particular the series of recommendations it includes.
Our family courts should protect the vulnerable from abuse, not allow it or enable it. Please raise this issue in the Scottish Parliament and express your support for the SCJH recommendations.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
[Your name]
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?
Follow, Learn, Share
Follow others who are working hard to improve the current situation for victims of domestic abuse and give them your support. Click the button below to see a list of recommended accounts to follow.
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