Contact arrangements where there’s a history of coercive control – Transparency Project

Posted February 29th, 2024 in coercive & controlling behaviour, contact orders, news by sally

‘This is a contact dispute in respect of a five year old that’s been going on for more than two years. At this hearing, both the mother and father were represented by barristers and there was a bundle of documents of more than 360 pages. The same judge, DJ Sophie Harrison, had conducted a fact-finding hearing in December 2022. The child lives with the mother, and the father was applying for increased contact – he was seeing the child regularly with supported, but not supervised, contact at a centre. At a hearing in June 2023, this contact was varied to extend to some unsupervised contact “in the community”.’

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Transparency Project, 27th February 2024

Source: transparencyproject.org.uk

Judge criticises regular misunderstanding of Lady Hale’s “nothing else will do” adoption comment – Local Government Lawyer

‘It appears there is a regular misunderstanding or misapplication of the words of Lady Hale in the Supreme Court case of Re B that in relation to the test for adoption, “nothing else will do”, a Family Court judge has warned.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th February 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Police failed to investigate officer abuse complaints, say women – BBC News

‘Seven women are accusing Devon and Cornwall Police of failing to investigate serving and former officers for domestic abuse and sexual violence.’

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BBC News, 12th February 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Court of Appeal moves to reaffirm “wide and flexible powers” of family court in care case – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has allowed a Guardian’s appeal against a family judge’s conclusion that she did not have jurisdiction to grant an injunction.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th January 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Most victims of domestic homicide have contacted police or NHS, review shows – The Guardian

‘A review of 302 domestic homicides recorded in a four-year period has found that the majority of those killed had been “hiding in plain sight”, having made contact with the police, health services and other public agencies before their death.’

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The Guardian, 6th December 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘You were told’: Killed Women report shows deaths could have been prevented – The Guardian

‘Two-thirds of 115 bereaved families surveyed by Ipsos thought the fatal attack on their loved one had been very or fairly preventable.’

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The Guardian, 5th December 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Domestic abuse: Stalker to be released despite being ruled unsafe – BBC News

Posted November 23rd, 2023 in coercive & controlling behaviour, domestic violence, news, parole, stalking by sally

‘A stalker who held his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint will be released from prison in February despite a parole board panel finding he was not safe to live in the community.’

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BBC News, 22nd November 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sentencing non-fatal strangulation and suffocation – R v Cook and recent updates from the Court of Appeal – Park Square Barristers

‘Introduced as part of the Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2021 and enshrined in law by s75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015, the offences of non-fatal suffocation and strangulation are increasingly being charged alongside other more common offences against the person as well as offences such as controlling and coercive behaviour.’

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Park Square Barristers, 10th October 2023

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

Ex-police officer who abused 200 girls via Snapchat jailed for life – The Guardian

‘A predatory paedophile who incited more than 200 girls as young as 10 to send him explicit images and videos of themselves while he was a serving police officer has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years.’

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The Guardian, 25th October 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Woman raped by ex-partner left traumatised by English family courts – The Guardian

‘A woman who was raped by her former partner has told how her fight for justice in the family courts left her traumatised.’

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The Guardian, 21st October 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Body-in-suitcase murderer Matthew Waddell handed life sentence Published 15 hours ago – BBC News

‘A man who killed his partner and hid her body in a suitcase inside a wheelie bin has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 32 years.’

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BBC News, 14th September 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Honour-based abuse: Government rejects calls for legal definition – BBC News

‘The government has rejected calls for a legal definition of honour-based abuse.’

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BBC News, 15th September 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

“Consent – does it matter?” – Karen Lennon and Oliver Latham discuss the decision of Knowles J in F v M and the approach to rape allegations in Family Law proceedings – Park Square Barristers

‘In March 2021, the Court of Appeal handed down its now oft cited decision in Re HN [2021] EWCA Civ 448. That case is famous amongst family lawyers as the architect of the modern approach to umbrella allegations of coercive and controlling behaviour. The focus of this article however is on sexual abuse allegations, in particular those of rape.’

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Park Square Barristers, 11th July 2023

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

“Spiritual abuse” – the “lessons learnt” reviews – Law & Religion UK

‘On 21 July 2023, the Diocese of Oxford issued the Press Release Learning Lessons Review: Revd Michael Hall, (“the Hall Review”), concerning the safeguarding case review it commissioned in April 2022 into allegations of spiritual abuse connected with St Margaret’s, Tylers Green, High Wycombe between 1981 and 2000. The review was the most recent of such “lessons learnt” reviews from the Diocese[1] and provides a present-day perspective of the Church’s approach to spiritual abuse both during and after the events at St Margaret’s.’

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Law & Religion UK, 31st July 2023

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Dangerous rapist jailed for life for ‘horrific’ attacks – BBC News

Posted July 20th, 2023 in assault, coercive & controlling behaviour, news, rape, sentencing by tracey

‘A 34-year-old man has been jailed for life after assaulting and raping two women in “horrific” attacks.’

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BBC News,19h July 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ryan Giggs ‘deeply relieved’ after domestic abuse charges dropped- The Guardian

Posted July 19th, 2023 in coercive & controlling behaviour, domestic violence, families, news, sport by tracey

‘Ryan Giggs is “deeply relieved” that domestic abuse charges against him have been dropped after his former partner declined to give evidence, his barrister has said.’

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The Guardian, 18th July 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge orders woman to directly arrange childcare arrangements with rapist ex-husband – The Independent

‘A judge has been criticised for ordering a rape victim to directly arrange childcare with an ex-husband who subjected her to rape and domestic abuse.’

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The Independent, 11th May 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Prosecutors focus on ‘love-bombing’ and other manipulative behaviours when charging controlling offences – Crown Prosecution Service

‘Updated guidance on controlling behaviour published by the Crown Prosecution Service today emphasises the need for prosecutors to closely scrutinise the actions of a suspect, who can often take steps to disrupt or mislead criminal proceedings.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 24th April 2023

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Domestic abuse victims who do not live with abuser ‘to get better protection’ – The Independent

‘Domestic abuse victims who do not live with their abuser will receive better protection against threats and intimidation, the Government has announced.’

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The Independent, 5th April 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

I’ve seen abusers use family courts to control and torment victims – but change is coming – The Guardian

‘A pilot scheme is inviting journalists into England and Wales’s most private courtrooms. This can expose those who use litigation as a weapon.’

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The Guardian, 29th March 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com