Claire Throssell with her sons Paul and Jack (Image: Supplied)
A mother, whose two children were tragically killed by their abusive father, is campaigning for a change in family law. Claire Throssell is calling on Sir Keir Starmer to review the family justice system following a report from Women’s Aid. The report reveals that since her sons’ murder, another 19 children in England and Wales have been killed by a parent or parental figure granted access to them, despite a history of domestic violence.
The report, titled Nineteen More Child Homicides, states that the victims ranged in age from just three weeks old to 11 years old. In all but one case, the perpetrators were men, with 15 of the children being killed by their own fathers. Claire’s sons, Jack, 12, and Paul, nine, were cruelly murdered by their father, Darren Sykes, during a court-approved visit in October 2014. He lured them into the attic of their family home with the promise of a new train set, before setting the house on fire.
Claire, 53, from Penistone, South Yorkshire, said: “The government hasn’t learnt anything since my sons were murdered. Children are dying and they are doing nothing to stop it.”, reports the Liverpool Echo. Women’s Aid has now joined Claire in demanding an urgent review of the family justice system, claiming that the family courts are “still failing to protect children”.
The charity monitoring child homicides has reported a chilling statistic: 67 children slain by domestic abuse perpetrators in the past three decades. Claire had sounded the alarm about her ex-husband’s perilous nature to Cafcass and social services prior to the tragic death of her sons at his hand.
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She disclosed, “In my court application I clearly stated he was capable of killing Jack and Paul. He had been repeatedly violent towards me and abusive to the boys. Even in the Family Court he was shouting at me and couldn’t contain his temper, but still the judge awarded him access to my beautiful sons, and now they are dead.”
Claire’s heart-wrenching account reveals that both she and her sons were acutely aware of the threat. “I knew the boys weren’t safe with him and the hardest part is Jack and Paul knew that too. They didn’t like going to visit their dad. They knew how angry he could get and would beg me not to make them go, but there was a court order in place stating they had to see their dad twice a week.”
It was during one such mandated visit on October 22, 2014, that tragedy struck when her ex-husband set their house ablaze after cancelling insurance policies; he also perished in the fire. Claire recounted the haunting final words of her son, “The last words Jack said, as the firefighters desperately tried to rescue him, was ‘my dad did this and he did it on purpose’.”
On the same tragic night, Paul lost his life along with his father, and Jack battled severe burns and medical complications for five more days before succumbing to his injuries. This devastating event has spurred Claire into action, making her resolute in her quest to bring about legal reforms related to family law.
Determined to eradicate domestic violence, Claire eagerly awaits a reply regarding her request to discuss matters with Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Venting her frustrations, she remarked: “The pro-contact culture means dangerous and violent individuals are being given access to children. There is a systematic problem in family courts that needs addressing.”
Fueled by her own tragic loss, Claire questions how many more children must suffer fatal harm before the government finally takes notice. She vowed, following her sons’ deaths, to dedicate herself tirelessly to prevent further child fatalities at the hands of abusive parents.
She lamented the lack of response despite successive governments: “How many more children have to be killed before the government stands up and listens? I vowed after my sons died that I would do everything I could to stop another child being killed at the hands of an abusive parent, but I am fighting one government after another, who aren’t listening.”
Claire also initiated a petition in 2016 aimed at challenging the current presumption of contact within family courts as part of her Child First campaign. The petition successfully garnered over 100,000 signatures, leading to a parliamentary debate. With strong conviction, she declared: “I can never bring my sons back, but I won’t stop campaigning until the government stands up and does something meaningful to protect children.”
Additionally, in January of this year, Labour MP Marie Tidball spearheaded a debate in Parliament, championing a legislative change to abolish the presumption of contact in family court cases. Claire, who has penned a heartfelt tome titled “For My Boys,” set to hit shelves in October, remarked: “I will not let Jack and Paul’s deaths be in vain. There isn’t a single minute of a single day when I don’t think about my sons. Jack should now be 23 and Paul 20.
“Their lives were cruelly taken far too early, and I was robbed of the memories and lives we should have shared together. I implore Keir Starmer to think about this and prevent another parent going through the devastating pain and heartache I am forced to endure every second of my waking life.
“Does the Labour government want its legacy to be that of one who ignored the safety of children or one that did something to save lives? No one should suffer the pain that constantly rips me apart and no child should be put at risk of a terrifying and painful death.”
Echoing her sentiment, Women’s Aid CEO Farah Nazeer added: “It is clear that within the family court system there remains inequality, injustice, fear and oppression. All too often perpetrators are shielded by a system that does not prioritise the safety of adult and child survivors.
“There also remains a disproportionate regard for the rights of the perpetrator in the family court system, often at the expense of the rights of the child.” In response to an inquiry, a spokesperson for the government stated: “This was a horrendous crime and our thoughts are with Claire Throssell and her family. “While judges already have the power to restrict parental involvement in a child’s life, we are reviewing the presumption of parental involvement and will publish the findings and next steps shortly.”
