Mother whose abusive ex-partner broke her hand leads campaign to change law over access to children
When “Michelle’s” ex-partner broke her hand – she knew enough was enough.
A line had been crossed. The abuse was emotional, coercive, and now physical. Her, and their child’s safety, was now compromised.
Fearful, Michelle – not her real name – decided that any father-child contact should be supervised.
Sky News correspondent Sabah Choudhry speaks to “Michelle”
Michelle’s ex-partner, however, wanted unsupervised contact with their child. He pushed back – and what followed was four years of court proceedings.
Michelle, and other campaigners like her, are calling on the government to end the presumption of contact between parents and their children.
On Monday, they will present a report to the government with recommendations to change the law.
Their main demand? To make parental contact earned – and not simply handed to abusers.
Currently, under British law, there is no blanket ban on an abusive adult having contact with their children.
According to the Children Act of 1989, there is a presumption of contact between parent and child when adults separate – to benefit the child.
However, according to Michelle, this isn’t always the case.
“The court system,” she told Sky News, “was as abusive as my ex-partner. It had an agenda to promote unsupervised contact at any cost, despite my medical and police evidence [of harm].”
“It felt to me, I was living in Victorian times, that my child belonged to my partner, and that I had to do what he wanted.
“It’s a very misogynistic system… that it doesn’t matter what the circumstances are – children will always have contact with their fathers.
“But it shouldn’t be at any cost…”
‘No parent is better than an abusive parent’
Dr Charlotte Proudman is leading the campaign.
Dr Charlotte Proudman, the barrister and founder of Right to Equality, is leading the campaign
The barrister and founder of the non-profit organisation Right to Equality told Sky News: “In my view, no parent is better than an abusive parent.
“Even if a parent is a rapist, a child sex offender, has been abusive, there is a presumption that they should have regular contact with their child, which can mean, in some instances, that a child is having unsafe contact with a dangerous parent.
“To argue against that can cost huge amounts of money and take a significant amount of time, even years.”
‘I shouldn’t be the exception… this should be standard’
This is something Conservative MP Kate Kniveton knows too well.
Conservative MP Kate Kniveton won a landmark case against her former partner
She told Sky News that she suffered 10 years of abuse from her ex-husband – a former MP.
The family court made findings of rape and sexual abuse, which he denies.
Ms Kniverton won a landmark case against her former partner, which now means he is barred from direct contact with their child.
Therefore, she supports the recommendations to change the law, in order to protect both women and children.
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She said: “The result we got with my child was great… my child is protected.
“But I shouldn’t be the exception…This should be standard in so many cases.
“You hear that contact has been ordered even with the most abuse of power.
“It is so important that the government listen to this and they overturn that presumption to protect children.”
As of Friday, the government announced that paedophile rapists will have their rights to contact their own children automatically removed.
But this current campaign wants an end to the assumption that parents can contact their children even when they are guilty of domestic abuse, sexual abuse or child abuse.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice told Sky News: “Children’s safety is absolutely paramount and judges already have extensive powers to block parental involvement where there is a risk to the child.
“We are continuing to review the approach to parental access to make sure all children are kept from harm.”
Liverpool have won the Premier League title after a 5-1 victory over Tottenham at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s men did it in impressive style, turning over Spurs in a convincing win.
It was a rocky start for the Reds after Dominic Solanke put the north London side ahead.
However, fortunes quickly changed in the first half as Liverpool scored three times without a response.
Captain Virgil van Dijk (centre) celebrates. Pic: Reuters
Salah on his knees in celebration after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott (below) and Jarell Quansah celebrate after full-time. Pic: PA
Slot cheers after the full-time whistle. Pic: AP
In the second half, it took until the 63rd minute for Mohamed Salah to make it 4-1 before a fifth followed.
The Reds have won the title in manager Arne Slot’s first season in charge, and move level with fierce rivals Manchester United on 20 league championships.
But it makes them arguably the most successful English club ever as they have won more European Cup or Champions League titles.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told Sky Sports after the final whistle: “It’s special and it’s something that we don’t take for granted. It’s amazing.
“A lot of emotions before the game, during the whole week, but we got the job done and we (are) truly deserved champions of England. (Liverpool is) the most beautiful club in the world and I think we deserve all of this. Let’s enjoy the next couple of weeks and let it sink in.”
Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas poses with a Premier League trophy cut out. Pic: Reuters
Manager Arne Slot and his team after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Slot took over last summer from Jurgen Klopp, who guided them to their previous and maiden Premier League title triumph in 2020, when the COVID-19 lockdown saw matches played behind closed doors.
He is the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League and the fifth man to do so in a debut campaign after Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini, and Antonio Conte.
Speaking to Sky Sports he said: “They [the players] did an outstanding job today. The main job was to win. Everyone said we had got it already. But we had to make sure and we got over the line.”
Several players, including Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah, played leading roles in both the 2025 and 2020 campaigns.
Van Dijk and Salah recently signed new contracts extending their careers at the club.
Mohamed Salah takes a selfie with fans after scouring the fourth Liverpool goal. Pic: AP
Fans at Anfield during the game. Pic: AP
Fans in the stands at Anfield before full-time. Pic: Reuters
Liverpool will have to wait until the final game of the season – at home to Crystal Palace on 25 May – to be presented with the Premier League trophy.
It will be the first time the club’s fans will have seen their side lift the top-flight title in person since 1990.
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Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
Read more:
Sky’s Beth Rigby running marathon in honour of ‘dearest friend’
Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform
Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
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