This week, Marie Tidball, the Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge, met with the Justice Minister, Alex Davies Jones MP, alongside Marie’s constituent and domestic abuse campaigner, Claire Throssell MBE, to discuss removing presumption of contact from legislation and reforming family court proceeding.
The meeting came after Marie asked a question in Parliament, ahead of the tenth anniversary of the boys’ deaths on 22nd and 27th October 2014.
Claire’s sons, Jack and Paul Sykes, aged 9 and 12 respectively, were murdered by their abusive father, who set fire to their home, during an unsupervised visit. The murderer had a known history of domestic abuse, and throughout the trial, Claire repeatedly warned that he was a serious danger to the children. This unsupervised visit was granted the family court, despite his known past, due to ‘presumption of contact’ in family court law.
Presumption of contact currently does not account for history of domestic abuse, and allows abusers to have unsupervised contact with children.
Claire Throssell has been a fierce campaigner over the past 10 years to remove presumption of contact from the law, and to ensure children’s voices are at the centre of family court proceedings.
During Claire and Marie’s meeting with the Minister, they urged the Minister to reform the law and save the lives of future generations of children by removing this presumption.
The Minister committed to review the impact of presumption of contact, and will be publishing a response to the 2020 Harm Report soon.
Whilst also in Parliament, Claire delivered her Women’s Aid ‘Child First’ petition, to 10 Downing Street. The petition is supported by over 100,000 people, and pushes to ensure known abusers do not have unsafe contact with children, which puts children’s lives at risk.
Marie Tidball, Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, said:
“I wholeheartedly support ensuring children are at the heart of our family court system. Claire’s heartbreaking story, and Jack and Paul’s tragic murders, are a sobering reminder of the fatal consequences of domestic violence, and the current shortfalls in our family courts. After Claire’s years of campaigning to save the lives of future generations of children in family courts, it was an important step to meet with Minister Alex Davies-Jones MP alongside Claire. I welcome the Minister’s commitment to reviewing the presumption of contact, and to protect children in our family courts.”
Marie continued:
“Domestic abuse services, particularly in Penistone, have had an alarmingly low take-up rate, making campaigns like Claire’s all the more important. We must ensure awareness around domestic abuse support and services continues to be raised. I will continue to champion this issue, and ensure that local people affected by domestic violence and abuse have access to the services they need. I look forward to working with the Claire and the government, to change the law to prevent further tragedies from ever happening again.”
Following the meeting, Claire Throssell said:
“Since Jack and Paul’s murders I have campaigned endlessly to ensure much needed changes are made to end the dangerous culture of presumption and contact at any cost culture within the Family Courts. I am beyond grateful to Marie for her ongoing support and commitment to this issue to ensure that all children at risk of harm through Domestic Abuse will have brighter, Safer futures free of fear and oppression in their own home. With Marie's help I have renewed hope that the much-needed changes will happen under this new Labour government that will keep children safe for generations to come. A better life for all.”
If you or anyone you know needs support with domestic abuse, in Penistone they can call 03000 110 110 or email info@idas.org.uk, and in Stocksbridge call 0808 808 2241. The National Domestic Violence Helpline can be contacted on 0808 2000 247 and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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