Dear Supporters,

Thank you for your unwavering support for our campaign, Hagued Mums UN Asylum, as we fight for justice for mothers and children escaping domestic abuse. We are thrilled to share a critical development: the recent report by UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem, following her visit to the United Kingdom. Her findings validate the systemic injustices we’ve been highlighting and reinforce the urgency of our petition’s demands.

Key Findings from Reem Alsalem’s UK Report
Reem Alsalem’s report exposes the deeply flawed UK family court system, which prioritises parental contact over the safety of children and mothers, even in cases of proven domestic abuse. Her conclusions are clear and align directly with our campaign’s mission:

End Parental Involvement with Abusive Parents: Alsalem calls for an end to forcing children into contact with abusive parents, emphasising that courts must prohibit the removal of children from their primary carer to “repair” relationships with the other parent, especially when abuse is alleged or substantiated.
Coercive Control Post-Separation: The report highlights how abusers manipulate legal proceedings or use child contact to perpetuate coercive control, significantly impacting domestic abuse cases in family courts.
Systemic Barriers to Justice: Mothers face immense challenges, including legal aid cuts from the 2013 Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act, which has left over half of mothers in custody disputes without legal representation by 2024. This has led to a 134% increase in parents representing themselves in private law child arrangement cases since 2011, exacerbating psychological distress and court backlogs affecting over 100,000 children.
Misuse of “Parental Alienation”: Family courts often dismiss evidence of domestic violence, framing protective mothers as engaging in “parental alienation.” Mothers are advised against raising allegations of abuse to avoid losing custody, and children’s voices are frequently ignored, exposing deep flaws in prioritising parental involvement over safeguarding.
Flight from Injustice: The lack of justice has driven many mothers to flee the UK to jurisdictions not covered by the Hague Convention on Child Abductions to protect their children from abusive fathers. This desperate act underscores the failure of the current system to prioritise safety.

Why This Matters for Hagued Mums
The report directly addresses the core issue of our petition: the Hague Convention’s implementation often forces mothers and children back to abusive environments, as courts prioritise “habitual residence” over safety. Alsalem’s call for reform, including revising the Hague Convention to better address cases of domestic abuse, is a powerful endorsement of our fight for asylum and protection for these mothers and children.

Our Progress and Next Steps
Signatures: Thanks to you, we’ve reached [insert number] signatures, amplifying our call for global action.

Raising Awareness: We’re sharing Alsalem’s findings on platforms like X to highlight the urgency of reform. Follow us at [insert handle] for updates.

Advocacy: We’re planning to engage with policymakers and organisations to push for the adoption of Alsalem’s recommendations, particularly on revising the Hague Convention and protecting mothers who flee for safety.

How You Can Help
Sign and Share: Help us reach 1000 by sharing our petition on social media and with your networks: https://www.change.org/HaguedMumsUNAsylum
Raise Your Voice: Share your stories or experiences with the family court system or the Hague Convention to strengthen our case. Email us at haguedmums@pm.me or tag us on X.

Your support is driving this movement forward. Together, we can end the systemic injustices that force mothers to flee and ensure that no child is returned to an abusive environment. Let’s keep the pressure on for reform and justice.

With gratitude,
Hagued Mums UN Asylum Team
https://www.change.org/HaguedMumsUNAsylum

P.S. Read Reem Alsalem’s full report at https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/ahrc5947add1-visit-united-kingdom-great-britain-and-northern-ireland to understand the depth of these issues and share it to spread awareness!