Former police officer sentenced for preying on domestic abuse victims for sexual gratification – Crown Prosecution Service

‘Michael McMillan, a former Merseyside police officer has been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for seven counts of misconduct in public office.’

Full press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 11th April 2016

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

From domestic violence to coercive control – OUP Blog

Posted April 8th, 2016 in domestic violence, human rights, news, sex discrimination, women by sally

‘When a major obstacle is removed to our progress, idealist intellectuals like myself rejoice. I was introduced to one such obstacle in the early l970s, when a woman hiding from her abusive husband in our home told us “violence wasn’t the worst part.” Like the millions of other victimized women we have served in the ensuing years, she understood that the prevailing equation of partner abuse with domestic violence has little relation to her lived experience of oppression.’

Full story

OUP Blog, 8th April 2016

Source: http://blog.oup.com

Woman forced to live like slave by husband says sentence too lenient – The Guardian

Posted April 5th, 2016 in domestic violence, news, sentencing, trafficking in human beings by sally

‘A woman whose former husband became the first Briton convicted of keeping their spouse in domestic servitude has called for police to be better trained in understanding such crimes, saying she had to “literally beg” officers to take her away to a refuge.’

Full story

The Guardian, 4th April 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

British man faces jail after keeping wife as a slave – The Independent

‘A Londoner who brought his Pakistani bride to the UK to use her as a slave and beat her so badly she tried to end her life faces jail.’

Full story

The Independent, 27th March 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Children: Private Law Update (March 2016) – Family Law Week

Posted March 24th, 2016 in appeals, children, domestic violence, legal aid, news, reports, social services by tracey

‘Alex Verdan QC of 4 Paper Buildings reviews recent important judgments in private law children cases.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 23rd March 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Husband jailed for ‘brutal’ murder of concert pianist wife Natalia Strelchenko – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 22nd, 2016 in domestic violence, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘John Martin killed talented musician Natalia Strelchenko on their two year wedding anniversary.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 21st March 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Man jailed for deliberately dousing wife in white spirt and setting her on fire after argument – The Independent

Posted March 22nd, 2016 in domestic violence, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘A man has been jailed after being convicted of deliberately setting his wife on fire, killing her.’

Full story

The Independent, 21st March 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Mending Rainbows: Domestic Violence in the LGBT Community/Communities – Family Law Week

Posted March 11th, 2016 in domestic violence, homosexuality, news, statistics, transgender persons by tracey

‘It is widely acknowledged that domestic abuse/violence is a devastating crime that can destroy the lives of victims and their families. However, the prevalent “script” of domestic abuse is gendered and heteronormative, whereby the abuser is always male and the victim always female. It is generally disregarded that approximately 25% of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual community/communities experience domestic abuse, which is the same rate of domestic abuse perpetrated against heterosexual women. Likewise, in a recent study on domestic abuse in the transgendered community in Scotland, 80% of respondents stated that they had experienced emotionally, sexually, or physically abusive behaviour by a partner or ex-partner.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 9th March 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Woman who bullied husband is jailed for life after murdering him – The Guardian

Posted March 10th, 2016 in bullying, domestic violence, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘A “bullying and violent” woman has been jailed for life for the murder of her husband two months after they got married in Las Vegas.’

Full story

The Guardian, 8th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Sharon Edwards: Violent wife murdered lawyer husband – BBC News

Posted March 8th, 2016 in domestic violence, murder, news by sally

‘A woman who regularly beat her newly-wed husband has been convicted of his murder by stabbing him through the heart.’

Full story

BBC News, 8th March 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Why is domestic abuse still not taken seriously in UK courts? – The Guardian

Posted March 8th, 2016 in criminal justice, domestic violence, news, sentencing, victims, women by sally

‘Female victims left in fear for their lives speak out about the failure of the justice system to punish abusers with long prison sentences.’

Full story

The Guardian, 8th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Finance and Divorce Update (March 2016) – Family Law Week

‘Edward Heaton, Principal Associate and Jane Booth, Associate, both of Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during February 2016.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 5th March 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Abortion, mental incapacity and prior intentions: Court of Protection Clarifies the law – UK Human Rights Law

Posted March 4th, 2016 in abortion, consent, Court of Protection, domestic violence, news by tracey

‘An NHS Trust v CS (By Her Litigation Friend, the Official Solicitor) ] EWCOP. The Court of Protection does the work of Solomon on a daily basis. Matters of life and death are brought before it, and with them come a mass of conflicting rights, overlapping statutes, and an array of case law from which arguments can be drawn.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Law, 26th February 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

The Round-up: companies off the hook for human rights abuses? – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The UK government is letting companies “off the hook” for human rights abuses, according to Amnesty International.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 29th February 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Abortion, mental incapacity and prior intentions: Court of Protection Clarifies the law – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 26th, 2016 in abortion, consent, Court of Protection, domestic violence, medical treatment, news by tracey

‘An NHS Trust v CS (By Her Litigation Friend, the Official Solicitor) ] EWCOP. The Court of Protection does the work of Solomon on a daily basis. Matters of life and death are brought before it, and with them come a mass of conflicting rights, overlapping statutes, and an array of case law from which arguments can be drawn. At the end of it, an individual judge must make a stark decision, which may have the most profound impact on another human being. One of those charged with making such decisions once divided the advocates who appeared before him into those who complicate and those who clarify. There is no surprise as to which he preferred.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 26th February 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Catalogue of errors around protection of Jayden Parkinson before murder, review finds – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 24th, 2016 in domestic violence, homicide, news, police, reports by sally

‘Police and care services criticised over handling of Jayden Parkinson, 17, who was strangled by her violent ex-partner Ben Blakeley after she told him she was pregnant.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 24th February 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Sharon Edwards: Newly-wed bride ‘killed her lawyer husband after he lost his job’, court hears – The Independent

Posted February 23rd, 2016 in domestic violence, murder, news by sally

‘A jealous new bride who “perhaps quite liked the idea of being Mrs Edwards, a solicitor’s wife” fatally stabbed her husband after he was told he was being made redundant, a court has heard.’

Full story

The Independent, 22nd February 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Government’s review of child protection must not undermine vital services – The Guardian

‘The government’s review of local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs), due to report in March, is reshaping the architecture of child protection. LSCBs are tasked with oversight of agencies that protect children, including local authorities, police, schools and health. This is a fundamental review, which implies far-reaching change, and is of huge public interest. The spotlight on this review is made more intense by the cross-departmental children’s taskforce: one key outcome from it must be a better coordinated approach across government departments.’

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Domestic violence legal aid changes were ‘invalid’ – BBC News

Posted February 19th, 2016 in domestic violence, evidence, legal aid, ministers' powers and duties, news, women by sally

‘A women’s charity has won an appeal against rule changes which it said “cut too many women off” from legal aid in domestic violence cases.’

Full story

BBC News, 19th February 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Violent domestic abusers to be tackled by new programme – BBC News

‘Men who pose a high risk of domestic violence are to be given one-to-one support to change their behaviour. ‘

Full story

BBC News, 17 February 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk