A mother and her baby have been failed by a system that was meant to protect them

We are infuriated and saddened at the detail of this case, which has seen a young mother and her children repeatedly failed by the very systems which promise to protect them.

That this young woman has been forced by Scottish courts to travel to a foreign country and live in incredibly precarious circumstances, separated by land and sea from her toddler son, her parents, and her entire support network is unimaginable in this day and age.

This egregious violation of their human rights demonstrates yet again that the needs and safety of women and children experiencing domestic abuse disappear when child contact decisions are made in our courts. How little their well-being matters is amply demonstrated by the judge’s order, sending her and her baby overseas in the midst of a global pandemic.

Abuse of a mother is abuse of the child and, contrary to Lord Brailsford’s comments, we can think of few things that could make this situation any more intolerable for the child involved.

That the bar for fatherhood sits so low, while the expectation of motherhood – even in the face of extreme risk to physical and mental safety – sits so high, is testament to the archaic notions still evident in so many of the decisions we see involving courtordered child contact in the context of domestic abuse.

We are doing all we can to source further legal support for Leigha and her child, and we are reaching out to sister women’s organisations in Malta to see if we can help arrange support for her there.

We also would like to remind anyone looking for support around domestic abuse that Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline remains available 24/7 on 0800 027 1234 – we will believe you, listen to you and support you, always.

It is a matter for every decent-minded Scot and should be a matter for anyone who cares about how justice is done. Or how it is not