Sex offenders will no longer be entitled to parental responsibility for children conceived through rape, under new measures proposed in parliament.<\/p>\n
In a government-backed amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill, due to come before parliament on Monday 27 October, parental responsibility will automatically be restricted where a child is born of rape.<\/p>\n
New reforms will also see parental responsibility restricted when a parent is convicted of serious sex offences against any child, not just their own.<\/p>\n
It will mean sex offenders will no longer be able to intervene in decisions about medical care, schooling and overseas travel.<\/p>\n
Bolsover MP Natalie Fleet has been instrumental in campaigning for the change; at the age of 15 she was groomed by an older man and conceived a child through rape.<\/p>\n
\u201cMen are using every tool they can to keep women quiet, and one of the tools they\u2019re using is the family court,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnybody that\u2019s been anywhere near it knows how horrendous it is. It is traumatising. It is just frankly horrendous, and it\u2019s been left in a mess. So we\u2019re doing everything we can to make it far easier.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis law is saying we\u2019re putting the needs of survivors above the needs of rapists,\u201d she added. \u201cMy God, the fact that we\u2019d ever even have to do that is ridiculous in 2025, but I\u2019m thrilled that we are doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
After being elected last summer, Fleet took it upon herself to become a voice for survivors of rape, particularly those who had conceived children after being assaulted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just think it\u2019s disgusting that we\u2019ve got to the point where we\u2019ve allowed children to be the only proceeds of crime that criminals can have lifelong access to,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Fleet set out to achieve three things: to found a charity to support women who conceive children through rape, to have some acknowledgment of the issue on the NHS website, and to change the law.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I initially came [to parliament], I didn\u2019t want to achieve this, because rape is so normalised that I didn\u2019t even realise it was part of my story,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t until Westminster journalists started asking me about it and taking an interest in my background, in a way that hadn\u2019t been taken at home, by health visitors, teachers \u2013 anybody really, because it was so normal, because my story is so normal in my constituency.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs soon as I realised that rape was part of my story,\u201d she said, she thought \u201coh my goodness, I\u2019ve got to change this\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI genuinely thought that the easiest thing would be to get it on the NHS website,\u201d she said. \u201cThe second easiest thing would be to set up a charity. And the third and most difficult thing, that would take years and years and years of campaigning, would be to get the law changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the new reforms, restriction of parental responsibility will happen immediately after sentencing, removing the necessity to apply through the family court.<\/p>\n
In cases where it has not been established in criminal proceedings that the child was conceived by rape, crown courts will be mandated to refer the case to the relevant local authority, if the court considers this may be the case.<\/p>\n
The local authority will then have six months in which to obtain the consent of the mother for them to initiate family court proceedings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese reforms mark a crucial step forward in restoring faith in our justice system,\u201d David Lammy, the deputy prime minister, said. \u201cAutomatically restricting parental responsibility in cases of rape where it has led to the birth of a child and serious child sexual offences sends a clear message: the rights and safety of children come first.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis Government is committed to standing up for victims and ensuring that those who commit the most vile crimes against children are never in a position to cause further harm.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese reforms will shield both mothers and children from the heinous actions of predatory parents as part of our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade,\u201d Alex Davies-Jones, minister for victims and tackling Violence against women and girls, added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud to support these amendments, which build on the tireless campaigning of Natalie Fleet MP, Baroness Harman and Jess Asato MP, who have been unwavering in their advocacy for the protection of children and women.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still pinching myself that we\u2019ve got a government that took a normal person from an area like mine and brought me into government, and then said, you can use your platform to improve the lives of the women you represent,\u201d Fleet said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s absolutely incredible. That\u2019s unreal. That\u2019s amazing. And I am really, really, just really happy. It\u2019s definitely the best day to be an MP, when you get something like this through.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a separate move, the government has also said it will repeal a law under the Children Act 1989, which leads the family court to presume that contact with both parents is normally in the best interests of a child.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Justice has said the change, which has been welcomed by domestic abuse campaigners, will be made \u201cwhen parliamentary time allows.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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