Spice Girl Mel B tells Prime Minister Keir Starmer what she really, really wants as she backs grieving mum’s campaign to close a deadly legal loophole for domestic violence cases
Mel B has thrown her support behind a mum whose two children were murdered by their own father on a court-approved access visit.
The Spice Girl and domestic abuse campaigner has endorsed Claire Throssell’s campaign to change family court guidelines after her sons were killed by her ex-husband when he deliberately set fire to the family home.
“Every day the government drags its heels on this, more and more women suffer – more and more women lose their lives, their kids, their future,” Mel said.
“Keir Starmer made promises to do something about violence against women – he made a promise to me. And yes, a full strategy takes time. The truth is that survivors of domestic abuse and refuges can’t wait for support which can be the difference between life and death.”
Mel who has previously spoken of her own experience of domestic abuse, added: “Claire is one of the bravest women I know. She campaigns so hard but is living with heartbreak every day as her two sons were killed by her abuser, their own father – we cannot let this happen to anyone else.”
Claire’s son, Jack, 12, and his nine-year-old brother, Paul, died, after their evil father, Darren Sykes, lured them to the attic of the family home, in Penistone, near Sheffield, before setting fire to the house in October 2014.
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He died in the blaze but not before ensuring his sons wouldn’t survive, after starting 14 separate fires around the house.
Claire, 53, had repeatedly warned social workers, the courts, and Cafcas – whose role is to represent the interests of children and young people in the family courts – that her abusive ex was capable of murder. Yet he was granted unsupervised access to his months and within months had killed them.
In 2016 Claire started the Child First campaign, supported by Women’s Aid, calling for guidelines in the family courts to be changed. The petition has now received over 110,000 signatures.
The heartbroken mum has now received the support of MPs to end the ‘presumption of contact’ – a family courts guideline that says children should spend time with both parents, even if there is a history of domestic abuse.
In January, Labour MP Marie Tidball, led a debate calling for a change in the law to remove the family court’s presumption of contact.
The HARM Panel report, commissioned in 2020, had already concluded children were being placed at risk by the family courts because of the way cases are handled.
A recent Women’s Aid report revealed in the decade since Jack and Paul were murdered another 19 children in England and Wales have been killed by a parent, or parental figure, who was given access to them despite being the perpetrator of domestic abuse.
The harrowing Nineteen More Child Homicides report explains the youngest child was just three-weeks-old and the oldest was 11. In all but one case, the killer was a man, and 15 children were killed by their own father.
The charity, which tracks child homicides, claims 67 children have died at the hands of perpetrators of domestic abuse over the last 30 years. At the recent Labour Party Conference, Claire called on the Prime Minister, to ‘keep children’ safe’. She was supported by several MPs who have promised to support Claire.
“Marie Tidball promised me she would continue to keep pushing for vital changes in the family courts, in a bid to repeal the presumption of contact between known domestic abusers and their children,” said Claire. She added: “ MP Matthew Patrick also pledged his support to raise awareness and educate the public on financial and economic abuse.”
Alex Davies-Jones MP, the Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, hugged Claire after she was given a copy of her book, For My Boys. Claire said: “Almost 11 years ago, I was invisible, unheard and unprotected whilst enduring domestic abuse. As a result, my two beautiful boys, Jack and Paul, were taken from me in the cruellest of ways, now MPs are listening to me.
“I can’t put into words how much it means to me. Emily Darlington MP told me she hoped my book would inspire others and Uma Kumara, the Labour MP for Stratford and Bow, promised to order the book.”
Claire finds strength from recalling Jack’s bravery in his final moments. She said: “He used his hand and strength to pull his brother from the attic hatchway in a bid to save Paul’s life. Jack told the fire fighters, as they cradled him in their arms ‘My dad did this and he did it on purpose’.
“My eldest son died thinking he had saved his little brother’s life, because I never told him Paul had died too.”
Claire’s book, For My Boys, is out now. With a foreword from Mel B, it tells the story of Jack and Paul and calls on the government to change the presumption of contact guidelines. To order For My Boys published by Mirror Books, click here.
If you or a loved one needs help with a toxic relationship visit www.womensaid.org.uk, call Samaritans on 116 123, or call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline – 0808 2000 247 (free phone run by Refuge) / The Men’s Advice Line, for male domestic abuse survivors – 0808 801 0327 (run by Respect). In an emergency, always call 999.
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