From Disclosure to Systemic Cruelty

Familicide UK is preparing a Shadow Report to the United Nations Committee Against Torture (UNCAT) examining recurring patterns described by survivors of domestic abuse and child abuse within the UK family justice system.

The evidence base currently comprises 520 anonymised survivor testimonies, from protective parents who report that they, their children, or both experienced domestic abuse and subsequently encountered serious difficulties when those concerns were raised within family proceedings.

Across the testimonies, recurring patterns emerge.

What survivors are reporting

Retaliation and minimisation following disclosure of abuse
Survivors describe disclosures of abuse being dismissed, minimised or insufficiently acted upon.

Children being placed into or ordered to maintain contact with the alleged abuser
Children are ordered into increased contact, unsupervised contact or, in some cases, a change of residence involving the person against whom abuse had been disclosed.

Parent-blaming and allegations of “parental alienation”
Most survivors report that, after raising concerns about abuse, attention shifted from the alleged abuse to their own behaviour or mental health. A large portion report being accused of “parental alienation” or portrayed as psychologically harmful to their children for disclosing abuse.

Silencing, gagging and coercive pressure
Court ordered restrictions, threats, confidentiality measures and other forms of pressure which they experienced as preventing them from speaking openly about what happened to them and their children.

Long-term harm to children
Survivors describe children experiencing significant emotional and psychological distress, deterioration in wellbeing, and in some cases self harm or wish to harm self. 

Long-term harm to protective parents
Many survivors describe profound and continuing psychological harm following prolonged proceedings, separation from their children, loss of protective capacity, destruction of livelihood and what they experienced as repeated institutional disbelief or hostility.

Why This Matters

Our analysis of 520 survivor testimonies reveals recurring patterns in how domestic abuse and child abuse disclosures are handled within the UK family justice system. Familicide UK is taking this evidence to the United Nations Committee Against Torture and calling for independent international scrutiny of the concerns raised.

Stand With Survivors

We invite organisations supporting victims and survivors to pledge their support for the Familicide UK Campaign. Your pledge does not require you to endorse every individual testimony — it simply says that these concerns deserve to be heard, examined and taken seriously.

The Pledge

“We recognise that some children and protective parents are being failed by the UK Family Court system and children’s services.We pledge our support for the Familicide UK Campaign’s call to the United Nations to investigate systemic human rights violations.