Claire Throssell whose two sons were killed by their own father is backing a Women’s Aid campaign to keep children safe from domestic abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jack, 12 and Paul, nine, were murdered by their father after he trapped them in the attic of the family home, in Penistone, Sheffield, and set it on fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Darren Sykes, who also died in the house fire, was awarded unsupervised access access to his children by a family court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJudges have to stop this presumption that it’s in the child\u2019s best interest to see both parents. Strangers are making decisions that affect the rest of their lives,” says Claire, 51, an ambassador for Women’s Aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the death of her sons, Claire began working with the domestic abuse charity to implement changes to the family courts and keep \u201cchildren at the heart of every decision\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Claire’s children died at the hands of their father after she had suffered years of abuse and finally left the family home. She took her sons and moved in with her mum. In the custody that followed Claire fought for residency orders through the family court. She says: \u201cTheir father had the right to see his children. But Jack and Paul didn\u2019t have the right to say they didn\u2019t want to see him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n