Ricci-style abuse cases are here too, says MP Jess

CHRISTINA Ricci’s abuse case has highlighted one of the darkest sides of the pandemic.

The Hollywood actress was granted a restraining order from husband James Heerdegen after she alleged he began abusing her in December 2019.

Court papers showed Ricci, left, told him she wanted a divorce but the process was delayed last March because of the pandemic, and she ‘found herself trapped in a house with a violent abuser’ – and was then attacked twice while quarantining in June. Heerdegen denies all allegations of abuse.

Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence Jess Phillips tells me the case illustrates the risk Covid backlogs in the courts can have, putting victims at greater risk. Phillips has just been told that her own harassment case against an alleged stalker will not come to court until December 13. Phillips said the man sent her death threats and ‘really awful’ abusive messages, including about gang rape. The court date will be nearly two years since she started proceedings and, she points out that, as a prominent MP, she has likely been fast-tracked.

The MP says there will be ‘plenty of cases’ like Ricci’s in the UK, and is urging the Government to put in better safeguards. ‘They’ve got to accept that in a delay, there will be repeat incidents,’ she says.