Parents who sexually abuse any child will now automatically lose parental rights

[IwantToRetire]

On Monday 20 October, a government-backed amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill was tabled which will ensure that parents convicted of serious sexual offences against any child will automatically have their parental rights over their own children removed.

Currently, parental rights are ‘absolute’ in law and can only be managed through a court order. This means that even if a father is convicted of sexual offences against children and is imprisoned as a result, they retain parental responsibility. There is nothing to prevent him from seeking contact with his own child or having a say in the child’s life

There is also currently no automatic parental restrictions for men who are convicted and sentenced for a rape resulting in the birth of a child. Perpetrators are able to apply for parental responsibility, leaving survivors to live in fear that they may have to regularly discuss their child's health, education and upbringing with the man who raped them.

Full press release from Rape Crisis at https://rapecrisis.org.uk/news/parents-with-sexual-offenses-against-any-child-will-now-automatically-lose-parental-rights/

Oh thanks for this and thank goodness

Thank goodness!

About time too.

The sooner this is the law, the better.

Finally!

All we have to do now is actually convict people instead of NFA everything

Will this also mean they don’t have to pay maintenance

I didn't 'hear' it this way. I thought it was about contact and family courts no longer coming from the position of both parents should automatically have contact by virtue of being parents. I haven't read anything, until now about removal of PR.

I actually cried with relief when I read this. Thank you @IwantToRetire.

If you read the full press release it says what the ammendments cover.

Although not sure when it becomes law.

Such good news and long overdue!

No. Not all fathers have PR, it's automatic if you're married or unmarried but on the birth certificate ( you have to go with the mother to register the birth in that case)

This is such a relief, I was horrified by the fact that this was ever an issue in the first place. Was it Sammy Woodhouse who said social services went out of their way to visit her rapist in prison to let him know he could demand visits from his child. Truly horrendous.

Good. Doesn't go far enough and took them long enough though.

bloody brilliant news!!! Will this be applied to people already convicted?
A friend of mine has repeatedly had to go to court to get permission to take her children abroad on holiday because the scumbag father current residing in prison refuses to consent to his children going abroad. I bloody hope this will remove all rights has to them.

Fantastic!

does this include “making csa images”?

I'm going to reiterate my post. I don't think PR will be removed just like that.....
I think PR, which is a legal term has been confused with 'not assuming the right of abusive parents to see their child'.

In the press release:

There are two key amendments:

• Parents convicted of serious sexual offences against any child, not just their own, will now be “automatically deprived” of their parental rights.
• A perpetrator’s parental responsibility will now be restricted in cases where they have been convicted and sentenced for a rape that resulted in the birth of a child..

A convicted sex offender would only be able to get their parental rights back if they made an application to the Family Court and could persuade the Court that it is in the child’s "best interests" that their parental rights are reinstated.

Good. The monsters deserve far greater punishment and I hope they are not allowed pictures of their children to salivate over.

Thank goodness for this

What are you basing that on? Where have you heard different?

Screenshot from another part of the Rape Crisis press release.
(Image to follow when approved)

The news haven't reported it as such but, I have involvement with family court and we've had no briefings etc therefore, if this is the case I think we're many months if not years from actually seeing the practicality of this taking place.

A lot of case law would need to be amended for starters and we know how, all it will take is a change of Government and things will stall etc.

I haven't seen it on the news. Do you have a link?

This already shouldn't happen. She should have a child arrangements order stating that the children live with her and she can take them abroad for up to 28 days at a time without the permission of the other parent.

If she's had to go multiple times because he's refused permission (unless it's more than 28 days) then she's been badly advised.

Hi, I don't have a link. I heard it on the radio yesterday, ironically en route to court.