DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILD ABUSE

Early day motion 567, tabled 5 February 2004 by Hilton Dawson (Labour). Signed by 45 members.

That this House urges much greater recognition of the links between domestic violence and child abuse in the hope that all honourable Members who support the benefits of contact, parenting time and shared parenting will also back (a) a new legal definition of domestic violence which recognises all forms of abuse and violence affecting all family members, (b) amendments to the Children Act 1989 so that courts must not grant residence or unsupervised contact to the violent or abusive parent unless it is satisfied that this is what the child wants and it can be enacted safely, (c) an over-ruling of the Re H&R judgement so that family courts do not have to apply a higher standard of proof in cases involving more serious allegations and (d) an amendment to the Family Law Act 1986 on the use of recovery orders to prevent perpetrators from using this legislation to locate and remove a child from the care of a victim of domestic violence without a thorough assessment of all the risks involved.

Signatures by party: Labour 28, Liberal Democrat 11, Labour/Co-operative 4, Conservative 1, Plaid Cymru 1.