GPs should be trained to spot controlling behaviour, review into Spalding double murder recommends – Daily Telegraph

‘GPs and teachers should be trained to spot signs of controlling and coercive behaviour, an investigation into the murder of a mother and daughter has recommended.’

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Daily Telegraph, 29th November 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Builder who passed off wife’s murder as suicide jailed after pub confession – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 9th, 2018 in domestic violence, married persons, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘Police errors almost allowed a husband to get away with murdering his wife and staging a suicide until he admitted his crime to a woman in a pub.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th November 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Dad jailed for ‘cannabis-induced’ baby murder attempt – BBC News

‘A young father who repeatedly tried to smother his newborn son amid a cannabis-induced psychosis has been jailed for ten years.’

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BBC News, 8th November 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Gloucester man jailed for murdering wife and stepdaughter – The Guardian

Posted November 6th, 2018 in domestic violence, families, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘A man has been jailed for life and ordered to serve at least 29 years in prison for murdering his wife and stepdaughter in an episode of “wanton savagery”.’

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The Guardian, 5th November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Controlling bully’ gets 23 years for Haringey wife murder – BBC News

Posted October 31st, 2018 in domestic violence, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘A “controlling bully” who strangled his wife and then stabbed her 49 times in front of her young son has been jailed for a minimum of 23 years for her murder.’

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BBC News, 29th October 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Balancing the rights of domestic abuse victims and their alleged abusers in court – Family Law

‘Should a court allow a potential perpetrator of domestic abuse, when they are acting in person, to cross-examine their alleged victim? Does this run the risk of the proceedings themselves being abusive? Or will it unfairly curtail the ability of the accused to put their case? If the court does not allow direct cross-examination, how should it proceed?’

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Family Law, 30th October 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Domestic abusers and stalkers should sign national register like sex offenders, commons report says – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 22nd, 2018 in criminal records, domestic violence, news, notification, stalking by sally

‘Domestic abusers and stalkers should be forced to sign a national register like sex offenders, a cross-party parliamentary report has said.’

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Daily Telegraph, 22nd October 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

End of ‘buying off’ sexual assault victims hailed by campaigners, as gagging orders set to be banned – Daily Telegraph

‘Victims campaigners have welcomed plans to outlaw gagging orders which prevent employees from disclosing sexual abuse at the hands of their bosses. The plans, which will be introduced as part of the domestic abuse bill, will stop companies from drawing up agreements that bar workers from going to the police.’

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Daily Telegraph, 14th October 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Parents ‘weaponising’ domestic violence orders, claims charity – The Guardian

‘The number of non-molestation orders – issued by courts to prevent domestic abuse – has rocketed by 37% over the past five years because they are being exploited to secure legal aid, according to the charity Families Needs Fathers.’

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The Guardian, 15th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

William Billingham guilty of murdering eight-year-old daughter – The Guardian

Posted October 2nd, 2018 in domestic violence, mental health, murder, news by sally

‘A factory worker who stabbed his eight-year-old daughter through the chest in an apparent act of revenge against his ex-partner has been found guilty of murder.’

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The Guardian, 1st October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Coercive abuse and how a private client lawyer can help – Family Law

‘Coercive abuse became a criminal offence under the Serious Crimes Act in 2015. We define coercive abuse as the act of coercive or controlling behaviour in an intimate or family relationship.’

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Family Law, 25th September 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Private probation firms ‘put victims of abuse at risk’ – The Guardian

Posted September 25th, 2018 in contracting out, domestic violence, news, probation, rehabilitation, victims by sally

‘Tens of thousands of victims of domestic abuse and children are being put at further risk of harm by privatised offender supervision companies whose staff lack the skills, experience and time to supervise perpetrators, according to a new report.’

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The Guardian, 25th September 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Domestic abuse victims turning to civil courts because police are failing to enforce law – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 17th, 2018 in domestic violence, injunctions, news, victims by sally

‘Domestic abuse victims are increasingly turning to the civil courts for protection because the police are failing to enforce the law of coercive control, it has emerged.’

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Daily Telegraph, 15th September 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Children: Public Law Update (August 2018) – Family Law Week

‘John Tughan QC of 4 Paper Buildings reviews recent, important Children Public Law cases.’

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Family Law Week, 15th August 2018

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Abuse victims increasingly denied right to stay in UK – The Guardian

‘The refusal rate for people applying to stay in the UK after suffering domestic violence more than doubled between 2012 and 2016 after the government pledged to make the UK a “hostile environment for illegal immigrants”.’

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The Guardian, 16th August 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Procedural challenges in a fact-finding hearing in wardship proceedings – Family Law

Posted August 15th, 2018 in cross-examination, domestic violence, litigants in person, news, wardship by sally

‘The case of M v F and others [2018] EWHC 1720 (Fam) is a reminder that the main issues in the case should be identified and addressed as early as possible in proceedings. Brendan Roche, barrister, of Seven Bedford Row, highlights the procedural issues that arose because the father was a litigant in person, including whether he could cross-examine the mother.’

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Family Law, 14th August 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Girl ‘locked away from the world’ and abused by her parents – BBC News

‘A couple who “systematically and regularly” abused their daughter while locking her away have been jailed.’

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BBC News, 10th August 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Same-roof’ rule in criminal injuries compensation – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 7th, 2018 in child abuse, criminal injuries compensation, domestic violence, news by sally

‘JT was born in 1963. She was the victim of repeated sexual assaults by her stepfather between the ages of 5 and 17 and made an application to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority following his conviction in 2012.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 6th August 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Defendants ‘gaming system’ to get domestic violence cases dropped – The Guardian

Posted August 6th, 2018 in domestic violence, intimidation, magistrates, news, reports by sally

‘Defendants are “gaming the system” in specialist domestic violence courts by intimidating partners into not appearing in the expectation that magistrates will drop charges, a critical report has said.’

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The Guardian, 5th August 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

“Same roof” rule excluding compensation for abuse is unlawful – Court of Appeal – UK Human Rights Blog

‘JT v First Tier Tribunal [2018] EWCA Civ 1735. Between 1968 and 1975 the appellant JT was repeatedly assaulted and raped by her stepfather in her family home. Many years later, her assailant was prosecuted for those crimes and convicted on all counts in 2012. As a victim of violent sexual crime, JT applied for compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. Her application was refused on the basis of the “same roof” rule, which stated that an award would not be made in respect of a criminal injury sustained before 1 October 1979.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 31st July 2018

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com