Mum of killed boys says law change will save lives

Claire Throssell says it is important to keep the memory of Jack and Paul alive

A mother whose sons were killed by their father has said she hopes they would be proud after a decade of campaigning in their names resulted in a promised change in the law on parental contact.

Claire Throssell's sons Jack, 12, and Paul, nine, were killed in a house fire started by their father in October 2014, after he was granted access to the boys.

Ms Throssell, from Penistone, met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Tuesday to discuss changes to the "presumption of contact" law, which assumes children benefit from contact with both parents.

The government has now said it will repeal the law under the Children Act 1989, which Ms Throssell said "will save so many children's lives".

The news came on the 11th anniversary of her sons' deaths.

The boys had been lured to their father Darren Sykes's home with a new model train set, before he set fire to the building, also killing himself.

He had been granted access to his children for five hours a week, despite Ms Throssell's evidence that he had previously threatened to kill them and himself.

Ms Throssell was made an MBE in 2020 for her campaigning on behalf of children

The Ministry of Justice said while this current presumption could be overturned if there was evidence that a parent could put the child at risk of harm, removing this particular law completely should lead to quicker decisions to restrict the involvement of abusive parents.

Ms Throssell, who was made an MBE in 2020 for her campaigning on behalf of children subjected to domestic abuse, said presumption had no place in a court of law.

"It's not for judges who are strangers to children and only get snapshots of their lives to make decisions that then end their lives," she said.

"There is this noise around parental rights but a deafening silence around children's rights."

Speaking to BBC Woman's Hour about her sons, she said: "I was so proud to be their mum.

"It is a privilege to have children, but they are not a God-given right and they have their own feelings and wishes, and so often they are not heard."

She said she had applied to the court for an emergency residency order, stating that their father was capable of killing the boys.

She said: "I had lived with him, they had lived with him, I had ended up being punched on my arm and thrown down the stairs with the force of it, the boys had seen that.

"I had to protect the boys and many times I got in the way between the boys and him. There was a red mist in his eyes, he was pure evil."

She had warned authorities that their father was a danger to them

Ms Throssell, who brought a picture of her sons to Westminster on Tuesday, said the change must come urgently as "children can't wait".

"Whilst there's no change in place, children are still at risk of dying, children are still at risk of harm," she said.

She said her love for her sons inspired her to keep fighting and she now hoped "that they'd be proud" of her achievement.

"It doesn't feel like a victory or a win, but it does feel that there is a change coming in the country, and it will save so many children's lives," she said.

"I hope that one day I can go to where they sleep and say to them that all the children around them, all the children in this country, will have a safer, brighter future."

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy praised Ms Throssell, calling her "simply remarkable".

"Her courage in the face of unimaginable tragedy, her determination to prevent other families from suffering as she has, and her relentless advocacy for children's safety has been instrumental in bringing about this vital change," he said.

"As we mark this important step forward in the law, I pay tribute to her sons, Jack and Paul, whose memory drives our commitment to ensuring no other child suffers a similar fate."

Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women's Aid, said repealing the law "has the potential to absolutely change the lives of survivors and child survivors of domestic abuse".

But she said while the announcement was "brilliant", a key issue was also the training of judges.

She said: "There is a fundamental lack of transparency and accountability when it comes to judges and magistrates recognising domestic abuse, recognising coercive control, and hearing child voices in the family court system."

Justice minister Sarah Sackman said the announcement was "hugely significant" and one "which will help us protect children for years to come".

Pressed on how soon the law might change, she said she wanted it to happen "as soon as parliamentary time allows".

Additional reporting by PA Media.

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