When the family court makes findings of Emotional Abuse (EA) and/or Coercive Control (CC), but the findings not accepted by perpetrators, these cases should be automatically referred to the police for further investigation. This should not be incumbent upon the victims/survivors.

EA & CC are crimes (Domestic Abuse & Serious Crime Acts) yet we believe the family court allows perpetrators to continue to abuse with impunity. In our view, all abuse features EA; 1 in 4 people aged 16 years and over have experienced domestic abuse, according to the ONS. We believe that this country is never going to reduce these devastating statistics without proper consequences for the worst perpetrators, such as perpetrator programmes and other effective interventions before criminal proceedings might follow. Our children need protecting so the cycle of abuse can stop.