This is a request to make an amendment to the Children Act 1989 to offer protection to the child/family in private/family law when domestic violence has been identified as an issue with the parents.

A judge will generally favour both parents to maintain a relationship with a child if a child is not at risk from either of the parents. However, many individuals are forced to cooperate and remain in contact with their perpetrators of domestic violence to support/manage child contact. 

How can we continue to acknowledge the individual as a survivor of domestic violence when they remain a victim of the controlling behaviour to accommodate the abusers' contact?

Child Protection law provides protection in an immediate situation between conflicting parents but what provisions are in place when parents use the system to gain access to continuing abusing the family?

The protection should not stop at assisting in public law and we need to consider coercive control and abuse within family private law. 

Child protection laws recognise the difficulties and how the child is affected by domestic violence (not always physical)in the household/relationship. However, it does not change the complexity/dynamic of the parent's inability to work together it simply changes the living arrangements and the relationship status. 

The courts need to consider the impact on the child/parent when open/direct contact is on going with a perpetrator to support a parental relationship with the child. 

We must recognise that the dynamic of parental abuse/alienation continues into separation and the child and the victim is still directly affected by dealing with their perpetrator. 

It can often be difficult to evidence coercive control within a relationship and even harder when in separation. 

So how do we offer a safe way of access for contact to go ahead and still protect individuals from further abuse, when abusers can use family law to potentially continue to abuse. 

We need to bridge the gap between Children Act 1989 and the Domestic Violence Act 2021!!!