What is the Women's Aid campaign, Child First: Safe Child Contact Saves Lives?

The 22nd and 27th October 2024 will mark the ten-year anniversaries of the tragic murders of Jack and Paul, Claire Throssell’s two sons, by their father despite Claire's warnings. Since their passing, Claire has campaigned tirelessly with Women's Aid to stop unsafe child contact with dangerous perpetrators of domestic abuse.

Claire's Story

"No parent should have to hold their children and comfort them as they die, or be told that their child has been harmed by someone who is supposed to love them. But that’s exactly what I had to experience 10 years ago when my sons Jack and Paul were killed by their father after a family court judge granted him unsupervised contact with them, despite my warnings.
For the past nine years, I’ve been campaigning with Women’s Aid to ensure children are at the heart of every decision made in the family courts and their voices, wishes and feelings are heard. I’ve been to Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament to help get key changes through in the Domestic Abuse Act. 

In 2017, we saw new guidance published for judges making decisions about child contact in cases of domestic abuse. And in 2020, the Government committed to make the family courts safer for adult and child survivors. But years later, we’re still waiting for true reform to keep children safe now and for generations to come. 
That’s why I’m calling on the new Labour Government and family courts to ensure, once and for all, that decisions made about parental contact do not allow known abusers to have unsafe contact with children that puts their lives at risk."

Take me to the Campaign

One of the ways that Claire would like us to mark the anniversaries is for as many of us as possible to light a candle in memory of them on the 22^nd October at 6pm and share online to #ShineALight in support of other mothers and their children who feel unheard and voiceless in the family courts.