Justice for domestic abuse victims in family court

Sick of the way #familycourt mistreats children & mothers who have experienced #DomesticAbuse.

Time for Change.
We want Justice.
Children deserve Better.

[Justice for domestic abuse victims in family court @WeCall4FCReform]

Hi all, I'm passionate about supporting victims of #DomesticAbuse & hope to raise awareness & advocate for complete reform of #FamilyCourt. Children have the right to be safe - family courts need to stop ordering children into contact with their abusive parents.

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

✨️⬇️✨️POLL✨️⬇️✨️

For #DomesticAbuse survivors with experience of #familycourt -

I'm interested to know, if an "expert" was used in your #FamilyCourt proceedings, whether this expert was regulated (reg) or unregulated (unreg), & whether they cited "Parental alienation" (PA) or not?

Please share

Cc:
@SheraFamily @ParamilyUK @jadewelshy @FCreform1

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

https://t.co/BxwXj8Xp1R

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

🔶️⭐️ Please Help ⭐️🔶️

Please can I ask all my followers to share this fundraiser as much as possible - raising funds to help a dear friend escape #DomesticAbuse & start a new life free from abuse ⬇️⬇️

#domesticabuse #gofundmedonations #GoFundMe
#help #crowdfunding

https://t.co/Qq4zCIvXXg

[Mothers Against Coercive Control & Violence @MACCAVonX]

@1Soloneo @RachelFree22 @Rocky3642 @NotSeparation @david4wantage @JudiciaryUK @Aleaiactaest102 @anotherDAstat @BBCNews @BandyXLee1 @Channel4News @Chantelle_bu @SynthiaBel82132 @CookieKL @Wincrotty1 @DA_Survivor_ @DrProudman @C4Dispatches @channel5_tv @FiveNewsUK @TheLCSNews @RoyalFamily @loosewomen @thismorning @DailyMirror @MailOnline @Daily_Express @guardiannews @BBCLondonNews @jk_rowling @WeCall4FCReform @womensaid @WomensAdv_Angel @StoppingAbuse1 @HannahEHarris12 @IntoChildren @reviewCSC @legalabusesynd @PostSepAbuse @SusanBassi @unmaskthenarc @court_said @Survivingtoday1 @survivorstrong3 @survivorstrust Please support the petition to show that CAFCASS is not outstanding https://t.co/yRPrRGfmzC

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

⚠️ Living in a domestically abusive environment is horrid... victims are trapped, unable to escape...

⚠️ This is happening now to a close friend of mine... Physical abuse, Financial abuse, Emotional abuse... She is trapped, unsafe, desparate to escape - yet without funds to be able to achieve this...

⚠️ The situation is terrible, & the lack of police support is awful... the perpetrator uses #DARVO to convince the police that he is not doing anything wrong.

❇️ Everyone deserves to live free from abuse...
🙏 Please help, if you possibly can, to enable my friend escape #DomesticAbuse & start a new life, free from abuse:

➡️ 🔗 https://t.co/TydqYgB0hJ

💜 Whether you donate or share, your support is very much appreciated.

#GoFundMe #gofundmedonations #gofundmehelp #crowdfunding

@DrEmmaKatz @SheraFamily @jadewelshy @CanadaCoercive @outofhiscontrol @AndrewCicchett1
@frainetti26 @ShanintheNorth @TracyRector1 @VickiGodfrey8 @Monsterfund_

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

https://t.co/6q9rFCezlV

✅️ It is welcome news to hear of the lower threshold for courts to grant protective orders for victims of stalking.

➡️ A step in the right direction... though more needs to be done to prevent this heinous crime & further protect victims. More training & understanding is needed, in order for police to fully recognise & adequately address the dangers posed to victims.

➡️ As a victim of stalking myself, I can say firsthand how frightening it is to be continually stalked, harrassed, & threatened, & not have any protection...

➡️ The perpetrator would turn up at my place of work, & turn up outside my house at all hours of the night...
I would receive constant text messages from him, in which he made it clear he was following my every move, threatening me, telling me he had his "allies" watching me...

➡️ However, on reporting to the police, the response was, "We can't do anything unless something happens to you." ...

Something was happening! I was being stalked, threatened & harrassed. He had harmed me while I was with him... what was there to stop him now?

➡️ #DomesticAbuse does not end when a victim escapes... perpetrators often escalate their abuse, causing victims to be in even greater danger.
This is the reality. I've lived it.

✅️ I'm very glad to see that stalking is to be taken more seriously... With the right training for police officers & those within the justice system, victims can be far better protected. Everyone deserves to live a life free from abuse ✅️

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

✳️ With thanks to Baroness @BertinGabby, who tabled this amendment, counselling notes will now have better protection during criminal investigations such as #rape cases. The legal threshold is being raised for when police can request survivor's personal, confidential notes.

✳️ This is a much-needed change in law & I hope it will ensure survivor's counselling notes are far better protected in the future.

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

🙏 Please can you all share and support this fundraiser to help a dear friend of mine escape #DomesticAbuse :

➡️ 🔗 https://t.co/TydqYgB0hJ

💜 Whether you donate or share, your support is very much appreciated.

#GoFundMe #gofundmedonations #gofundmehelp #Crowdfunding #fundraiser

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
Please can you lovely people share & support this fundraiser... someone very close to me needs to urgently escape severe #DomesticAbuse which is escalating by the day, & I cannot sit by & watch this happening.
https://t.co/xMGUYkEX1X

Any amount donated, however small, will be very much appreciated. Please also share widely. Thank you. 💜

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

🤔 Is it that the #FamilyCourt struggles to recognise #DomesticAbuse, or is it that these cases are being deliberately mishandled❓️

⚠️ Those involved in determining outcomes of these cases are making £Thousands from keeping these cases ongoing...

➡️ Either the #familycourt, #Cafcass, #SocialServices are ignorant to abuse, or they are compliant 🤔 ...

➡️ Just a thought... when there is so much knowledge about domestic abuse around... it is unlikely to be complete ignorance, in my view.
This is where the abuse becomes "legally" enabled to continue..

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

✳️ This video 👇 by @DrJessTaylor is spot on... perpetrators have more rights & protection than victims in both #FamilyCourt & the UK criminal "justice" system...

➡️ Yes, I put "justice" in quote marks, because, when victims are not receiving the same rights and privileges as perpetrators, this is not a fair process, & this is not justice...
It is a direct breach of the EHRC Article 6 Right to a fair trial.

➡️ Having experienced the brutality of both the #familycourt, the #CPS & the process of trying to achieve justice... I found it to be incredibly traumatic & distressing, as a victim, trying to speak on video & answer very personal, traumatising questions which were asked in such a cold manner, by someone who clearly had no experience of interviewing victims of #DomesticAbuse, & who joked about the "juicy stories she had on her desk." This, I found very insensitive & disconcerting, when dealing with a victim of serious crimes... #Rape #SexualAssault #DomesticAbuse...

➡️ I certainly felt very alone & unsupported throughout the process. I do believe @GOVUK @MoJGovUK @CommonsJustice has a long way to go, to ensure a fair process for victims of crime... & vast improvements need to be made, to ensure children are better protected from abusive parents in the family court system. @AlexChalkChelt

➡️ Thinking about what Jess says in her video, when I combine this with posts I've made before, I note that the suspect is required to be treated as "innocent until proven guilty"...
This immediately leaves the victim at a disadvantage from the outset, whereby they are viewed as "lying until proven truthful." So, already, the suspect receives as much help as possible to defend themselves, while the victim is picked apart, with the pre-determined belief that they are lying.

⚠️ This is not a fair process.
This is not ensuring justice.
How is @MoJGovUK going to address this serious failing❓️

Cc:
@SheraFamily @jadewelshy
@FCreform1 @TaiwoOwatemi @jessphillips @VictimsComm @CommissionerDA @LDNVictimsComm @ChildrensComm
@Genxpunk69 @c22cuk @StoppingAbuse1

[Justice for domestic abuse victims in family court @WeCall4FCReform]

@ShoresMendy6996 I've followed you back... Feel free to dm me if you want to. x

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

I'm going to say something that may not be very popular, but I believe it needs to be said:

Yes, false allegations happen, but not in the way that people expect..

Let me explain:

When a victim has disclosed #DomesticAbuse, a common reaction from the abuser is to loudly claim the victim is lying, label them mentally ill/unstable, & counter allege abuse - #DARVO. Domestic abuse is not always easy to prove (for those who are untrained to spot the signs) as it most often happens behind closed doors, without witnesses.

Abusers are calculating, manipulative, & able to twist narratives with ease, to "explain away" their abusive behaviour. Many police, social workers, cafcass officers, etc, are unable to recognise that the abuser is fooling them, because they put up such a facade, that even clear evidence of abuse is somehow dismissed.

So, yes, false allegations are made, usually by abusers, via counter-allegations, to obfuscate matters, cover-up their abuse & point fingers at the true victim.

➡️ From someone who worked with the police & vulnerable suspects & victims, this was noted - that the only false allegations seen were by abusers against the mothers & children they were abusing ⬇️

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

🤔
#Transparency is the first step - but final judgements alone are not true transparency, in my view... it does not take into account the full trajectory of the case, all the details that may have been carefully excluded from evidence, etc...

We need FULL transparency of the whole case (obviously excluding names of parties). I'm talking about:

● the reason the case came to court in the first place;
● any allegations & counter-allegations made;
● the evidence submitted;
● the findings & reasons for disregarding any evidence;
● NAMES of judges, cafcass officers, social workers, any "experts" that are instructed (If they have nothing to hide, this shouldn't be a problem, should it?!);
● any "expert" reports & their qualifications;
● any cafcass/social worker reports...

Basically everything that occurs, throughout the whole case, should be made public.
Every meeting/communication with cafcass/social worker/"expert" should be recorded.
Court hearings should be recorded with transcripts available - NOT to be tampered with by judges before being released.
Transparency means actual TRANSPARENCY, not picking & choosing what is released for public viewing!

If we are serious about protecting children & acting in their best interests, then we need to open up ALL the courts & scrutinise EVERY aspect of what transpires.

✅️ #transparency ✅️
✅️ #accountability ✅️
✅️ Open up the #FamilyCourt ✅️
✅️ Reform family court ✅️
✅️ Protect children ✅️

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

❓️Why are #FamilyCourt decisions not being followed up afterwards❓️

Considering that judges make rulings regarding children's futures, often life-changing decisions, surely these children should be spoken to & checked on, to find out how they are getting on... & to see whether the decision needs to be reviewed & re-evaluated.
Surely this is common sense, & should be standard procedure in a system that claims to be about the best interests of children‼️

It is a massive FAILING that this is not happening, & I believe this needs rectifying immediately
@GOVUK @MoJGovUK @JudiciaryUK @AlexChalkChelt @CommissionerDA @ChildrensComm

[The Maggie Oliver Foundation @TMOFCharity]

Today has been monumental for us here at TMOF. But most importantly for @MaggieOliverUK and the survivors of CSE in Rochdale. Vindicated publicly finally.

But why has it taken well over a decade? Why has the fight been so hard? And why are we still contacted by 100s of survivors each year experiencing the same neglect by services that should be there to protect them?

Maggie has been flat out with media interviews today. She and we have so much more to say but, as a tiny team with an ENORMOUS mission, it might take us time to catch up. Please bear with us if you have contacted us.

Maggie has linked the report in her post. We’re grateful to Gary and Malcolm (the review team) for being so thorough and honest but it means it’s a difficult read. Please take care of yourselves if you do read it.

Thank you for all your support. It’s knowing that the public are behind us that keeps us going even when some would much rather we gave up! 💜

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

➡️ In the poll below 👇 I asked survivors what they felt was sorely lacking when they escaped #DomesticAbuse - Thank you to all who responded & engaged 💜

The results show the stark reality that survivors currently face after escaping abuse. Services are clearly lacking in EVERYTHING we need - emotional support, post-separation abuse information & #FamilyCourt information, with a huge 69.9% of you stating ALL of the above were lacking🚩
This is a massive FAILING of victims.
@CommissionerDA, may I ask how you plan to address this with @AlexChalkChelt @GOVUK @JudiciaryUK❓️

Also mentioned in comments, was the vast lack of help from police, financial support services & even some domestic abuse services, which many victims found refused to be involved or were unable to offer protection once family court was involved.

@VictimsComm @LDNVictimsComm I believe this is an URGENT issue that needs addressing to ensure greater protection & support for survivors of #domesticviolence, at every stage of a journey that is often extremely traumatic.

❇️ For all you amazing survivors, please hold on & reach out if you need any help, information or support & I will do all I can to help. I stand with you all 💜 ❇️

@jadewelshy @SheraFamily @dnfamilylaw

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

When asked whether #FamilyCourt affected #mentalhealth, 98.2% of more than 500 participants said yes 👇🚩

Family court causes many people to feel suicidal. A huge number of #DomesticAbuse victims going through proceedings are at their wits' end, trying to advocate for their child's safety, for protection from an abusive parent... Then trying to protect them from an abusive system. The greatest pain is seeing/knowing your child is suffering & being powerless to protect them.

To all the wonderful, safe parents who have fought with everything they had to keep their children safe, I see you & stand with you.
For those who have struggled to keep going, after being let down by #FamilyCourt #cafcass #SocialServices, I am so glad you are here & I send you much love & support.
We are doing all we possibly can to fight for reform of these systems, because we all know that, as things stand currently, these systems are not fit for purpose.
Our children deserve so much better.

✅️ Reform family court ✅️
✅️ Save our children ✅️

[Emma - Fighting 4 Justice 💜 @DA_Survivor_]

Thank you for this @DrJessTaylor - it makes a lot of sense to me - labelling symptoms of trauma as a mental illness actually ignores the fact that the body is doing exactly what it needs to do to cope with trauma.

A trauma therapist once said to me:
"You have suffered trauma. You are responding in a NORMAL way to an ABNORMAL situation."

This stuck with me, because it affirmed that there was nothing "wrong" with me - I wasn't "mentally ill" - I was traumatised from experiences that should never have happened.

[Surviving Economic Abuse @SEAresource]

With the post-separation abuse amendment now in force across England & Wales, controlling or coercive behaviour taking place after a relationship has ended may now be considered a criminal offence. Find out how this change to the law may affect you 👇 https://t.co/eop7E4cUWZ