Rachel Quilty’s Post

📚 A recent article highlights a serious problem in the UK family courts: outdated, sexist attitudes that can endanger women and children. Judges sometimes dismiss serious domestic abuse claims and allow abusers continued access to their victims. 🗣️ “…Campaigners are calling for judges who sit in the family courts to undergo further training so they have a proper understanding of the complexities behind domestic abuse, including coercive control, when deciding on cases including access to and custody of children.” ⚖️ Justice needs to be served rather than allowing the system to revictimise the victims. 🤓 Link to the article below… https://lnkd.in/eMJ7depf

The courtroom should be a safe space for survivors, not a place where they are re-traumatised. Riverlight's campaign has made significant strides in exposing the concerning language and attitudes that abuse survivors have encountered in family court proceedings. You can read the full feature here: https://lnkd.in/eabpUhUN You can read their full campaign report here: https://lnkd.in/eKUvPec4

Court of Australia (FCFCOA). The Chief Justice, Will Alstergren, has stated that 83% of these FCFCOA cases involve allegations of domestic violence. The family court too often becomes a haven for society’s most dangerous perpetrators, including child sex offenders.  We know that perpetrators of domestic violence enjoy the court process and unethical family lawyers profit from this. The next logical step after so many inquiries and recommendations is to act to keep the perpetrator, and those whom enable them, in view. TRANSFORMING THE FAMILY COURT  Dear Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, We urge you to stand with victim survivors of family law and family court post separation abuse. Family violence is a national disgrace. If we are to end violence against women and children within a generation, we must eliminate post separation systems’ abuse and control. Chloe Shorten AIGP Bill Shorten

https://lnkd.in/e8UYr6Ct At FLAG DV, we witness the enduring impact of financial control on victim-survivors of domestic abuse, often persisting years after separation. Economic abuse, recognised under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, involves controlling a partner's access to finances, employment, or resources, severely limiting their independence. Recent discussions in Parliament, highlighted by Jessica Brown-Fuller, emphasise the urgent need for enhanced financial protections for victims of coercive behaviour. The government's commitment to addressing these issues is a promising step toward safeguarding survivors' rights. The profound effects of coercive control necessitate comprehensive support systems. By raising awareness and advocating for policy changes, we can work together to empower survivors and help them rebuild their lives free from abuse. #FLAGDV #EconomicAbuse #CoerciveControl #DomesticAbuseAwareness #SupportSurvivors #AdvocacyForChange

This is exactly why there need to be safety measures for victims of court abuse especially in family court proceedings. How many times are unjust hearings concealed with judges: a) refusing to release the audio b) refusing to direct transcription of audio  c) alleging “audio recording issues” (where in one case 28 minutes of a non custodial parents cross examination of a court appointed psychologist admitting the childrens trauma was identical to the trauma of abduction victims.) This is what the most vulnerable are subjected to “behind closed doors” which the children are exploited, with courts imposing strict gagging orders allegedly “to protect the childrens’ privacy” (which in NZ legally does not exist until they turn 16.) https://lnkd.in/gJ8RH9V5 When will the media in nz be able to report on the truth about family court without fear of imprisonment of malicious and vexatious prosecution?  @newsroomnz When will Courts of New Zealand | Ngā Kōti o Aotearoa and family courts world wide  Make it a fairer fight for childrens actual best interests?  #ponsonbychambers 

It’s time to accept the limited protection that AVOs provide women at high risk of domestic violence; and acknowledge the current prevention framework in place to protect them in Australia, is grossly inadequate - and needs to change. We only need to look at the relentless queue of women in recent times who have lost their lives at the hands of offenders they have had AVOs out against (Molly Ticehurst and Hannah Clarke to name a few) or at the hands of offenders who have been out on bail or parole (Jillian Meagher, Masa Vukotic, Molly Ticehurst to name a few), to know that this is true. Whilst AVOs do work in many situations to protect victims from further escalation of crime, on their own they are no match against an offender who has resolved to commit a violent crime. At that point, an AVO, on its own, is just a piece of paper (if that). All levels of government need to commit to enhancing the protection infrastructure for victims of domestic violence. I agree with Geoffrey Watson SC that things have gotten so bad certain civil liberties should now be considered to be at stake. We should look at specialised police units which are given significant powers to monitor AVO compliance at all times and to have access to proper intelligence to be able to intervene well before any breach of an AVO (and confrontation or assault) occurs. We should seek answers from our criminal justice system who have let female victims down by bailing and paroling violent, unwell men - when magistrates and parole boards should have known better. And we should consistently and continually callout the misogyny and disrespect which does lurk in some parts of our society and from which all of these horrors seem to always have at least part of their genesis Poor Molly x

Reviewing bail laws is just one element of making the community safer for women and children. On its own, a bail law review will do very little. I'm not commenting on the particular case below, but my strongest recommendation about situations in cases like this is to create specialist magistrate courts where magistrates and Police Prosecutors have extensive training on the dynamics of domestic and family violence, and where specialist advice can be sought on physical and emotional dangers to victim survivors. See my brief LinkedIn article on this last year. #womenssafety #childrenssafety #lawreform https://lnkd.in/g7e8ze4M

Our CEO Yvette Vignando calls again for investment in specialist domestic and family violence courts in NSW and across Australia to save lives and increase safety. "The rate and risk level of intimate partner violence-related murders and violence could be reduced if governments took a longer term view of the value of investing in specialist courts. Magistrates and Police Prosecutors have a heavy workload, and a significant part is domestic and family violence matters.  Bail law review is relatively inexpensive and a blunt instrument on its own - governments need to invest heavily in expertise in the criminal justice system and in the Family Law system. Specialist domestic and family violence courts would save lives and reduce harm." https://lnkd.in/gejFj3Mv

Thank you Nicole Madigan for shining the light on adult son-to-mother violence, including matricide, and the opportunity to contribute to this piece. Our research with men who use violence has repeatedly identified that mothers are often the ones providing housing to men removed from the home for use of intimate partner violence. And our research on court user experiences with DV protection order proceedings has identified an intersection of adult children’s use of family violence with mental health problems, harmful substance use, other offending behaviours and homelessness. We need to ensure risk assessment and DFV specialist support extends to parents, primarily mothers, who frequently provide housing to adult children with known histories of violence use and/ or other intersecting risk factors to ensure the safety of families beyond intimate (ex)partner dynamics. #domesticviolence #familyviolence #sontomotherviolence #matricide #mothers #mothering #support #riskassessment