Rachel and Pasha back anti- abuse campaign
COUNTDOWN presenter Rachel Riley and her husband, the former Strictly star Pasha Kovalev, are backing a call on the Government to help domestic abuse victims.
The couple, pictured right, have signed a letter supporting those who have been harmed by poor Family Court decisions.
The Government has already pledged to overhaul the system after the Daily Express End This Injustice crusade called for the removal of parental rights for fathers of children conceived through rape.
It also called for an inquiry into how the Family Courts handle domestic abuse and violence against women and girls in child arrangement cases. But campaigners still fear it will take months before the system is reformed.
In the letter to Justice Secretary Robert Buckland – signed by domestic abuse campaigner Rachel Williams, London Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman, domestic abuse campaigner David Challen and Rotherham campaigner Sammy Woodhouse – the couple called for the “abuse to stop”.
They said: “We are calling for urgent redress to be provided for victims of domestic abuse affected by the harm in Family Court, confirmed by the review granted in 2019.
“Currently in the Family
Court it
is ‘ business as usual’, which means that whilst the Ministry of Justice delivered a commendable review, poor decisions in domestic abuse cases are continuing.
“Victims currently have no way of reliably reversing miscarriages of justice or unsafe decisions due to the
absence of meaningful recourse, even if their cases are current. We urgently need to establish a fair system where those who have been affected by the harm in the Family Court have a way of accessing justice.”
The couple added: “Poor decisions in Family Court have lifelong catastrophic effects on victims and children. The government needs to help put things right.”
Rachel and Pasha, along with campaigners from # thecourtsaid and # getmhome, have united with leading charities including Safelives, Paladin National Stalking Advisory Service, White Ribbon and Welsh Women’s Aid in their fight for justice for victims.
Rachel tweeted: “I don’t know why the state of Family Courts isn’t a national scandal.
“If people knew what was happening they would be outraged.
“You read this kind of stuff and assume there’s some kind of mistake, but no, it’s horrific. These poor kids.”
The Domestic Abuse Bill will go before the House of Lords later this year before being given Royal Assent.