A UK family who battled in court to strip a convicted paedophile of his parental rights have criticised the government’s latest legal reforms, claiming they fall short of fully protecting vulnerable children.
The legislation in question—outlined in the Victims and Courts Bill—proposes to automatically remove parental responsibility from offenders convicted of serious child sexual abuse.
However, the draft law only applies where the offender has abused their own child or stepchild, leaving a loophole that campaigners argue fails to protect many children.
In 2023, the BBC reported on the case of a mother, referred to as “Bethan”, who spent over £30,000 in legal fees to protect her daughter from her ex-husband—a man convicted of the most serious child sex offences.
Despite his conviction, he initially retained legal rights over his daughter’s schooling, healthcare decisions, and future contact.
Bethan’s family welcomed a court ruling that ultimately stripped him of those rights and banned all forms of contact, including letters and social media, until the child turns 18. Yet the cost and stress of the proceedings left them deeply disillusioned.
Following media coverage of the case, former MP Harriet Harman proposed an amendment to introduce automatic removal of parental rights from child sex offenders, a move designed to spare victims’ families from the trauma of lengthy family court proceedings.
The amendment gained cross-party support, including backing from then-Conservative Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, who declared that the law would ensure children were “automatically safeguarded” from individuals proven to lack any caring or parental instinct.
Bethan’s family were initially relieved when the Labour government included the reform in the 2024 King’s Speech. However, their hopes were dashed when the bill’s final wording—published on 7 May—limited the automatic removal of parental responsibility to cases where the offender abused their own child or stepchild.
The clause also only applies if the offender was sentenced to four or more years in prison.
This revised scope would not have helped Bethan’s family, as her ex-husband had abused children but not his own daughter.
Speaking to the BBC, Bethan’s parents expressed frustration at what they see as a UK government retreat from a stronger, victim-centred position.
“The focus should be on protecting innocent children, not preserving the rights of paedophiles,” they said. “The original amendment by Harriet Harman was the correct one.”
Bethan’s grandfather added: “It’s about where we draw the line—and we think that line should be much lower.” The child’s grandmother described the legal ordeal as a “terrible stress” for her daughter, noting that Bethan had to quit her job, give up her flat, and exhaust all her savings to pursue justice.
The revised bill is set for its second reading in the UK Parliament today.
Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones defended the legislation, stating: “We are safeguarding children and supporting victims.”
“These new laws will, for the first time, introduce automatic suspension of parental responsibility for those who abuse their own children and receive a sentence of four years or more. But I understand the concerns raised and will continue to work with campaigners to ensure the law is as robust as it must be.”
