Jade's Law: Family's setback stopping killer parents' rights

Jade Ward, 27, was killed by Russell Marsh in her home in August 2021

The family of a woman murdered by an ex-partner will continue their bid to curb perpetrators' parental rights after MPs rejected a law change.

Jade Ward was stabbed and strangled by Russell Marsh as their four sons slept at their Flintshire home in 2021.

An amendment to a Bill to suspend the rights of killer parents in jail was turned down by MPs on Tuesday.

The UK government said it is "trying to find a quicker way" to cut off killer parents' rights.

After being found guilty of murdering Jade, 27, ex-partner Marsh was ordered to serve at least 25 years in prison.

Jade's parents have cared for her children ever since and have campaigned to end Marsh's parental rights.

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Currently, parental responsibility remains in place when one parent kills the other, and the family or guardians of the children must consult that parent on decisions including health, education and travel.

Marsh has continued to contact the family, asking for photographs, school reports and medical details.

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Jade's dad, Paul Ward said the current situation was "absolutely shocking".

Alyn and Deeside MP Mark Tami (pictured in the centre) has been supporting their campaign

"We find that the system is wrong and we need a change," he said.

"It's him behind prison cells dragging things up, it's just very hard.

"The boys don't want contact with him, they don't want contact with him at all."

He added that if he wanted to get passports for his grandsons, it would need to go through the courts.

At a Public Bills Committee hearing on Tuesday, Labour's Shadow Minister for Prisons and Probation Ellie Reeves moved an amendment that would take away the parental rights of a parent who killed the other, at least for the duration of their time in detention.

Six Labour MPs voted in favour of the change and nine Conservative against it.

A friend of the family, Edward Duggan, launched a petition for the law change and secured over 130,000 signatures, triggering a Commons debate in November 2022.

Mr Duggan said the UK government was using the same "excuse" on Tuesday as they did last time.

"The actual petition was to reverse the onus from the family having to attend court and having to make the applications, instead of the parent.

"I worded the petition purposely so it wouldn't conflict with the Human Rights Act and this is the excuse the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) keep coming up with.

Russell Marsh still has legal rights over his children

"They keep saying there's a conflict of interest. They keep on saying it may be of detriment to the child or the children involved.

"If the truth be known, the risk was given to the children by the mere fact that the father murdered their mother.

"In this particular case where there were four children involved, if they hadn't have had the family that they have they could have ended up in the care system, they could have been split up, they could have been all over the country."

Jade Ward was killed by her estranged husband a week after she ended their relationship

The family's campaign is being supported by the Labour MP for Alyn and Deeside, Mark Tami.

He said: "This latest blow by the Tory government is disappointing but sadly not surprising.

"The next Labour government will enact Jade's Law.

"In the meantime, we'll keep fighting, and the Labour shadow justice team is already making plans to raise this once again on the Commons floor after recess.

"It's the least we can do for Jade's parents Karen and Paul, who continue to raise Jade's sons while her evil killer is allowed to pull their strings from behind bars.

"It's despicable, and we won't rest until Jade's Law is enacted."

The MoJ said in a statement: "As the Lord Chancellor confirmed this week, we are looking at how we can find a quicker way to cut off parental rights for these killers.

"Judges are required to put the welfare of children first and can already effectively remove all rights and powers from a parent who has murdered the other, but we sympathise heavily with the pain suffered by victims and their families and are eager to go further."