UK Legal System failing victims of domestic abuse (article)

[DocMcStuffinsBigBookOfOuches]

Article from The Guardian on Saturday about how the UK legal system is failing victims of domestic abuse, particularly since the changes to Legal Aid provision. Very interesting item that I thought others might also like to read.

www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/29/how-uk-legal-system-failing-domestic-violence-victims

It's almost unbelievable really that it is so ridiculously difficult for the victim to get justice. The slashing of legal aid was always, quite obviously, going to bring huge repercussions to victims of domestic abuse. My teenage daughter applied for legal aid to get an injunction against her violent ex. This was thankfully just before these changes came into force. Even though she was only a student and solely responsible for a very young child she still had to find £800 to pay the solicitor for the shortfall in legal aid fees. He (the abuser) went to court, got off with a caution (yet again) and had all his costs paid in full because he didn't work. Where is the justice in this?
This aspect is only one side of the nightmare though. Even if a woman is lucky enough to free herself from an abuser she still has the uphill struggle (quite often) to find accommodation when there is so little social housing available and severe cuts to housing benefit payments, that's if she can even find a landlord who will accept her if she requires Housing benefit, regardless of if she works or not. The desperate struggle for so many women and children is far, far from over and looks likes its only going to get worse. What a terrifying thought indeed.