A new report commissioned by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) reveals the extent of abuse suffered by women at home, work, in public and online. As well as demonstrating the wide prevalence of violence against adult women, the report also details incidents of physical and sexual violence experienced by women in childhood. The FRA says that the survey shows that policy makers need to recognise the extent of violence against women, and ensure that responses meet the needs and rights of all victims of violence against women.

Over 42,000 women across the European Union, aged between 18-74, were interviewed for the survey. Women were asked about their experiences of physical, sexual and psychological violence, including domestic violence. Questions were also asked about incidents of stalking, sexual harassment, and the role played by new technologies in women’s experiences of abuse.

Some of the key findings show that:

• 33% of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence since the age of 15;
• 22% have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a partner;
• 43% have experienced some form of psychological violence by either a current or a previous partner, such as public humiliation, forbidding a woman to leave the house or locking her up, forcing her to watch pornography, and threats of violence.

The survey on which the report is based makes clear that a wide variety of groups need to take action to combat violence against women, including employers, health professionals and internet service providers. It highlights that the police and other relevant services should be trained to recognise and understand the impact of psychological abuse on victims to ensure all forms of violence against women (and girls) in varied settings are recognised, recorded and acted on.

Should you be experiencing domestic abuse of any kind, please contact us to see if we can assist you, including taking measures to afford you protection from the family courts.

Beverley King, Partner and Joint Head of the Family Department at Philcox Gray, recently represented a “first time” mother of a young baby on a successful appeal against a Care Order and Placement Order for adoption. The Local Authority had prospective adopters waiting in the wings but the mother’s successful appeal stopped the Adoption plan. The mother’s “goodbye” contact with her baby had taken place three months before the appeal decision.

Despite the mother making great progress during the care proceedings, including attending intensive therapy, the Court  made a Care Order and a Placement Order when the baby was just four months of age. The successful appeal against these Orders led to  the Court setting them aside and reinstating contact for mother and baby immediately. The proceedings are continuing.

It was a very interesting case which demonstrated how the quest to comply with the PLO 26 week time-scale can work against the child’s interests and the interests of the parents.  The  appeal  considered all of the recent developments in case law, including the landmark decisions of Re: B and Re: BS which have  brought a much needed requirement for close scrutiny of Care Plans for adoption of children. The Court is now duty bound to evaluate all of the options, ie, family placement or adoption, in terms of positives and negatives for the child.

If you need help or advice with any family matter, please contact us to see if we can assist you.

The BBC in its new short series presented by Evan Davies, last night highlighted the difference between London and the rest of the country in terms of economic growth.  In a short piece within the programme, they highlighted the Elephant and Castle’s Heygate re- development and the effect that this will have on the availability of social housing in the local area of Southwark – with very few of the new properties being available to rent on social lets.

It was interesting to see former residents of the Heygate to go back and comment on the effect that moving from the area has had on them, and also to see a councillor from Southwark answer some tricky questions about the future of social housing in the Borough.