‘children of domestic abuse victims increasingly being taken into care’ – the guardian

The Guardian has published an article warning of the impact of cuts to domestic abuse services on children.

Cathy Ashley of The Family Rights Group highlighted reports by women who were told that they risked losing their children if there was another ‘incident’ of domestic abuse or if they did not leave the family home immediately. ‘What that tells the woman’, said Ashley, ‘is you cannot report abuse to the police or you risk losing your children.’

This approach, exacerbated by cuts to domestic abuse services, renders women more likely to lose their children. Furthermore, it shifts responsibility for the impact of domestic abuse from the perpetrator onto those experiencing it.