Natalie Stephenson

Single mother, Law student and advocate for families suffering the impact of domestic violence and post separation abuse

[(((Joanne Harding))) @Joanne13Harding]

We don’t “ come to terms” with women & girls being strangled to death during sex…ever. Journalists have a duty not to normalise this. You should be ashamed @guardian

[Natalie Stephenson @Tully1979]

@FormanLaw1 Oh dear Larry, I think you need to do some research. He was challenging the false narrative being set by the witness, which was so so bad! Is he not supposed to be challenging things that are false? Literally his job

[Lissa 🌈 @superlissy]

Can’t help but think about how many women’s lives have been put in potential danger with that alert! Hidden phones can literally save lives. An alert of that magnitude for THAT. Negligence

[Suzanne Martin @AndhaBandar]

“Have we learned nothing?” A case with echoes of Sara Sharif. Full report on the appeal to follow.
https://t.co/jYiqUvjtMa

[Family Law News @familylaw]

https://t.co/Xy937fOBxO

[Proudmans @proudmanslaw]

Proudmans is honoured to be representing Jazmine (not her real name), one of the teenage victims in the Fordingham rape case and is dedicated to ensuring Jazmine gets the justice she deserves.

https://t.co/KKyfNfHm6M

[Killed Women @KilledWomennw]

The fathers of Alice Ruggles and Hollie Gazzard have said an expansion of 'right to know' laws will be transformative for people being targeted online by stalkers.
https://t.co/UCtp60H9yd

'Police will now be required to share the identity of online stalkers to their victims as quickly as possible after tracking them down. It comes after campaigners warned that being targeted by anonymous accounts is one of the most frightening aspects. The Crime and Policing Act, which has passed its final Parliamentary hurdle, also gives courts tougher powers to impose Stalking Protection Orders, even if a suspect is acquitted.'

'Clive Ruggles, whose daughter Alice, 24, was murdered by her stalker ex-boyfriend, said: "Stalking, whether physical or online, is hugely impactive and often life-changing for the victim. In the worst cases it can escalate to murder, something I know all too well because of what happened to my daughter Alice."'

'And Nick Gazzard, whose 20-year-old daughter Hollie was stabbed to death at the hairdressers where she worked, said: “Stalking destroys lives, not just through individual incidents but through the constant, cumulative fear it creates. "Too many victims have been left in a state of uncertainty and danger because systems have not moved quickly enough to recognise ongoing risk. As Hollie’s dad, who was stalked before she was killed by her jealous ex-partner, this is something I know only too well.”'

'The Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service branded the legisaltion a significant step forward. Chief operating officer Louise said: "In cases where the stalker is unknown to the victim, we consistently hear how not knowing who is behind the behaviour can leave victims living in fear, uncertain about the level of risk they face and unsure of who they can trust. "The introduction of statutory Right to Know guidance is therefore a vital shift. It will allow police to lawfully disclose the identity of online stalkers at an earlier stage, helping victims better understand the threat, assess their safety, and regain a sense of control."'

[Nadski @nadski65]

The case of Sara Sharif exposes a terrifying failure of the family court system. 💔

Too often, when mothers report domestic violence, coercive control or child sexual abuse, they are labelled “unstable” while evidence is dismissed as “historical”. Children are then placed with dangerous fathers.

Police records can clearly show domestic abuse and risk to a child, yet family courts still ignore it.😡

Repeated reviews and investigations have warned that many professionals across the system still lack sufficient training in coercive control, trauma-informed practice and cultural awareness. Abuse is minimised, coercive control is misunderstood, and children are left at risk.

⚖️ The UK Domestic Abuse Commissioner has warned that outdated views and failures to recognise coercive control are still common in family courts.
📑 Government and academic reviews have identified a dangerous “pro-contact culture”, where abuse allegations were minimised and children were still placed in unsafe situations.
🚨 Research repeatedly shows that coercive control is still misunderstood or treated differently from physical violence, despite being recognised in law.
📚 Recent reports have specifically called for better training across agencies in recognising coercive control, trauma and abuse patterns.
There is growing evidence that many professionals in the family justice system still lack sufficient training in coercive control, trauma-informed practice and cultural awareness.

Foreign mothers and women with limited English face even greater barriers:
▪️ interpreters are not always properly provided,
▪️ trauma can be mistaken for instability,
▪️ cultural communication differences are misunderstood,
▪️ and migrant women may not fully understand the legal process or their rights.

Sara’s mother, a Polish woman with limited English, had to navigate an impossible system without proper support or interpreter. How is that justice?

Now Surrey County Council refuses to release a report about Urfan Sharif’s abuse history, supposedly to protect the rights of a convicted killer.😡

Meanwhile, where were Sara’s rights? Who is accountable for handing a vulnerable child to a dangerous man?
❓Has anyone lost their job over these failures?
❓Will anyone be held responsible?
❓Are we actually going to "only"learn lessons from this tragedy?

Because the worst part is this:
Sara’s case is not unique.
@MoJGovUK @KemiBadenoch @SheraFamily @hansummers @AndhaBandar @JudicialWatch @ChildrensComm @hrw @MyCafcass @The_HCPC @DHSCgovuk @The_HCPC @Jessica_E_Brown @DrProudman @BBC @ITV @Panorama #justiceforSara
@BBCSurrey @SurreyCouncil1

[Natalie Stephenson @Tully1979]

@natalyanderson But that’s a whole different conversation and not a blanket ban just because someone wasn’t able to create the life they choose to raise.

[Natalie Stephenson @Tully1979]

@natalyanderson We are all entitled to our opinions, thanks for explaining yours. Can’t say I agree, and the space is too short to say why. So many children in the world without a family…it’s life not human trafficking

[Natalie Stephenson @Tully1979]

@natalyanderson So many children are taken into the system a with the logic that you can only have a child if you birth one what happens to them?

[Natalie Stephenson @Tully1979]

@natalyanderson My ex tried to take our son from me just to punish me, in these scenarios I can understand the argument, but I don’t understand what’s being said here at all

[Natalie Stephenson @Tully1979]

@natalyanderson I really need to understand this argument in its entirety, male gay couples should not allowed to be parents? I find it odd that single men would want to but shouldn’t they also be allowed to be fathers if they choose?

[Natalie Stephenson @Tully1979]

@Helen_Fields @elliereeves @CPSUK Let alone all the other criminal cases of coercive and controlling behaviours that are going unheard, allowing perpetrators to reoffend, and continue to perpetuate harm

[Natalie Stephenson @Tully1979]

@Helen_Fields @elliereeves @CPSUK And for the @CPSUK to actually start filing prosecutions in domestic abuse cases. Even when a crime is admitted they are NFA’ing cases of non fatal strangulation

[Natalie Stephenson @Tully1979]

@R0dimu55 @elliereeves @CPSUK @gmpolice @PSOSRenfInver That’s frustrating for you but most females can’t even get the cps to make charges, it’s a problem across the board with domestic abuse cases.

[Claire Waxman OBE @voice4victims]

I saw first-hand the impact of Victim’s Right to Review ( VRR) failures on @jadeblueLDN . She fought to expose a system that left her without real recourse. Today @elliereeves has expanded VRR pilot so more rape survivors can access justice. Well done Jade for driving real change

[Natalie Stephenson @Tully1979]

@ShamaJunejo @NatalieFleetMP Nothing happens even when they do report, having consequences and actions taken for those that do would encourage others to do the same. No strategy can manage this situation until the cps start doing their jobs, and protection orders are actually enforced when breached

[Natalie Stephenson @Tully1979]

Maybe speak to all the woman, some of whom have had to pay upwards of 100k, to protect their children from serious harm. even after it’s proven in court that the father has inflicted violence and ccb,these children are still placed in their care without protection. Read the room

[Rupert Lowe MP @RupertLowe10]

Family courts. Since talking about it, I have been inundated with messages from parents who have been entirely and unfairly cut out of their children's lives - overwhelmingly fathers. It's honestly very difficult to read some of these stories.

Paying tens of thousands of pounds to fight it in court. Waiting months with no access to the child. Having the mother use the children to alienate the father, turning them against him.

Countless men have been utterly broken by this - emotionally and financially.

It's not always dads on the receiving end, but it does seem to be primarily men who are suffering. And of course, there are cases where action is proportionate. But clearly the system is not working as intended.

I've been pushing for answers in Parliament, but there seems to be very little appetite from the Ministry of Justice to engage in meaningful change.

I read these stories, and it's just horrific.

Good, decent men who have been cut out of their children's lives. For no reason. Years gone by with no contact.

Often falsely accused, and they have their names dragged through the mud - the process is the punishment and they have their son/daughter taken away from them because of it.

I am very much of the view that a child needs their father, and I don't believe the courts should be weaponised by malicious parents to keep them apart.

The system needs a radical overhaul, giving decent fathers a much bigger say.