So apparently my child doesn't matter... amd I am terrified *[Content warning: concerns child sexual abuse]

[Helah]

Details changed as outing.

So my ex raped his very young nieces and nephews. I was pregnant when this came out, it was utterly horrific, and I left him over this. As we were married, so he technically parental rights over my baby.

Around the time our baby was born, the government announced that there would be a law to stop child rapists having parental rights over children, and I thoughts that me and DS would be safe.

Now they're saying the law will only apply to people who have raped their own child, which of course, his niecesand nephews aren't. I am so scared for my son. His father will rape him if he gets contact, he has form for raping his own flesh and blood, and I am so scared.

I just want a bit of a handhold and as much useful advice as possible

OP this is horrific. What an awful situation you are in.

If it were me I would be disappearing with your baby, no way would I let that rapist bastard anywhere near my child.

Does he have a conviction?

agree with above, honestly. I would take the baby and run. Move cities and change your names.

I'm being so serious.

If you don't, then you are in for a life of fighting and screaming to social services, the police, schools, anyone who will hear you.

Best of luck, op.

Edit, is he on the birth certificate?

Seek legal advice. Sorry I can't be of more help, and completely understand your worry. You want to protect your child, completely understandable, the only way to do that is through legal channels.
But I would not be supporting any relationship directly or indirectly with that person and my child. Let your ex take you to court if he wants to. By then he wouldn't have a relationship with the child which would support your case further potentially.
Legal advice would give you more confidence moving forward.
But i agree with above, move. Change social media. Make it hard for him to find you, if he wanted to that is.

I’d be AMAZED if he could have any unsupervised contact with your son. You need legal advice

Surely not, there's got to be something you can do? This is awful I can't even begin to imagine, but as PP said I would be running and hiding!

He's a child rapist. Was he convicted? If so he'll be on a sex offenders register and there's probably a ban on him being anywhere near children.

Presumably he is not on the birth certificate and if not, then he doesnt have PR

How did the information come out, was he arrested/sentenced?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czr8v24g6gxo.amp

Here is a news article explaining what OP is describing. As he has not been convicted of abusing his own child he can retain his parental rights. As things stand PR can be severed only if the child in question has been abused. Everyone write to your MP and support changing it so children of child abusers can be protected before they are abused.

This is tragically incorrect. He will probably be prevented from having contact with any child except his own. It's bonkers.

Unfortunately as your child is not a victim of his offences, it is possible he will be permitted to see him. The debate was withdrawn so I don't think any action has been taken to prevent fathers having parental responsibility for their children, even if their offences were not against their own child.

Whether you facilitate that while he is in prison is up to you.

If your ex is not named on the birth certificate, he won't automatically have parental responsibility.

The prison he is at will assess his level of risk to children both inside and outside the family. From there, he will have to do offending behaviour programmes and other work to demonstrate understanding of his offence, the impact and to show a reduction in risk to others.

Depending on the sentence depends on whether he will have to prove to a parole board that he is not a risk, or is a low level risk for consideration for release. Either way, he will have licence conditions that he has to adhere to on release otherwise he will be sent to prison again. This may or may not include living with his own or other familial children and with 'strangers' children.

Depending on the length of his sentence will depend how long he will be on the sex offenders register for, from 7 years to indefinitely if he has served a sentence.

We can all say what we believe should happen but if you want clarity, I would be seeking legal advice about the steps you can take to protect your own child as this would likely need to be done through the courts otherwise he could petition the court for access if there are no restrictions towards his own child.

I will seek out legal advice, it's just tricky financially. He is much better off than I am, so if he ever takes me to court things will not go well for DS as I can't afford representation. We moved area and I changed my name and gave DS a name that ex H wouldn't recognise, but I've bumped into 2 or 3 people who recognised me and know ex h, so methinks we will have to move again. It's just not fair.