Fleet Fights The Justice System

A Rapist’s Right: The MP Forging a New Law From Her Own Trauma

A Labour Member of Parliament is spearheading a landmark campaign to change UK law, driven by her own deeply personal history. Natalie Fleet, who represents Bolsover, is determined to strip rapists of their parental rights over children conceived through their crimes. Her mission began with her own experience of a crime defined by her age. It is now gaining significant momentum within Westminster and beyond.

Fleet's journey from a survivor burdened by shame to a national lawmaker has been extraordinary. It now places her at the forefront of a crucial battle for victim's rights. The proposed legal reform seeks to dismantle a system that she argues perpetuates trauma for survivors. This change would end the automatic legal connection between a rapist and the child born from their assault, a link that currently tethers victims to their abusers for life.

Her campaign shines a light on a dark corner of the justice system. It questions the very definition of parental rights when they originate from a violent criminal act. With growing cross-party support and public attention, Fleet’s efforts may soon lead to a pivotal change in how the law protects the most vulnerable.

A Campaign Born from Personal History

Natalie Fleet’s resolve stems from her upbringing in Sutton-in-Ashfield, a community in Nottinghamshire. At just fifteen, she began a relationship with a male who was her senior. She believed the connection was serious and meaningful. This belief was shattered when she revealed her pregnancy. The reality, she later understood, was that his interest was predicated on a criminal act. She realised his focus was purely on sexual relations with a person below the age of sixteen. This act constitutes a criminal offence due to her being below the legal threshold for consent.

The Burden of Societal Judgment

In the aftermath, Fleet faced a wave of condemnation that placed the blame squarely on her shoulders. Friends and community members told her she had destroyed her future and that of her unborn daughter. The prevailing attitude offered no room for her status as a victim. She internalised this judgment, feeling she had no basis to question the narrative of her own failure. This painful period highlighted a significant societal blind spot: a failure to question the father's role or the nature of the relationship itself.

From Private Shame to Public Office

For years, the experience made Fleet doubt her own capabilities. She confided in friends that her past as a teenage mother made her unfit for a career in public service. However, her election to Parliament for the Bolsover constituency marked a profound turning point. Now, a profound sense of responsibility now compels her to use her platform to speak for others. She understands her story may be shocking to some, but she is determined to confront the silence that surrounds sexual violence.

The Anomaly of ‘Indisputable Proof’

Fleet acknowledges a grim irony in her situation. She considers herself fortunate regarding the circumstances of her rape because the evidence is undeniable. An official birth certificate proves her age. Her daughter's birth certificate validates her age. A genetic analysis provides a definitive link between her daughter and the perpetrator. Fleet has stated that having to rely on such luck for validation is a terrible indictment of the system, yet it is a stark truth for many survivors.

Image Credit - BBC

The Current State of the Law

Under existing legislation in England and Wales, a father automatically acquires parental responsibility if he and the mother are married when the child is born or is named on the birth certificate. This legal status grants him rights in crucial decisions concerning the child’s life. These decisions include matters of education, religion, and medical treatment. For a child conceived through rape, this means the perpetrator can legally remain involved in the child's life, a situation many survivors find intolerable.

A Traumatic and Costly Process

To sever these legal ties, a mother must currently initiate proceedings in the family courts. This process is often emotionally gruelling and prohibitively expensive, with legal costs potentially running into tens of thousands of pounds. The burden of proof and the financial strain fall entirely on the survivor. This forces them to relive their trauma in a legal battle to protect their child from the person who caused them immense harm.

A Glaring Legal Contradiction

Campaigners have long highlighted a stark contradiction in the law. A man convicted of serious sexual offences against children is placed on the Sex Offenders Register and barred from working with young people. However, this prohibition does not automatically extend to his own children. This glaring anomaly means the law protects other people's children from a known offender but fails to provide the same automatic protection for his own offspring. The fight to close this loophole has been building for years.

A New Path Forward

A new legislative proposal, the Victims and Courts Bill, provides an opportunity to address this issue. This piece of legislation aims to improve victims' experiences within the justice system and strengthen the powers of the Victims' Commissioner. Fleet is working with ministers to introduce an amendment that would automatically suspend a rapist's parental responsibility upon conviction. This would shift the legal burden from the victim to the perpetrator.

How the New Law Would Function

The proposed amendment is clear and direct. If a person is convicted of a rape that results in conception, their parental authority would face immediate suspension at the point of sentencing. The case would then be referred to the family courts. It would be the perpetrator's responsibility to prove that reinstating their parental rights is in the child's best interests. This change would prevent abusers from influencing their child's upbringing while incarcerated or after release.

Building on Previous Efforts

This legislative push builds on earlier efforts made when the Conservative party was in government. Then-Justice Minister Laura Farris tabled a comparable change for the Criminal Justice Bill. That proposal also sought to ensure the automatic removal of parental responsibility from those who commit the most vile acts against children. The move signals a growing cross-party consensus that the current legal framework is untenable and that survivors should not have to fight for this basic protection.

Inspired by Jade’s Law

The principle behind the amendment is reinforced by "Jade's Law," which was introduced through the 2024 Victims and Prisoners Act. Named after Jade Ward, a woman murdered by her ex-partner in 2021, this law ensures the automatic suspension of parental responsibility for a parent who kills the other. Ward's family campaigned tirelessly after her killer was able to make determinations concerning their children while incarcerated, inflicting further trauma. This established a precedent for protecting children from abusive parents.

A Chorus of High-Profile Support

Natalie Fleet’s campaign has attracted support from the highest levels of the political and royal spheres. Personal backing for the initiative has come from Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister. Starmer, who previously held the role of Director of Public Prosecutions, expressed his surprise that a legal provision of this kind was not already in place and pledged to ensure new wording would be integrated into a suitable bill. His background in the justice system lends significant weight to the proposed reform.

Image Credit - BBC

An Endorsement from the Palace

The campaign has also received a royal endorsement. While attending a function at Buckingham Palace, Fleet discussed her work with Queen Camilla. The Queen, a long-standing advocate for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, immediately offered her help. This experience was an astonishing and remarkable moment for the MP, underscoring the widespread recognition of the need for change. The Queen has dedicated over a decade to this cause, working to support victims and raise awareness.

The Queen's Advocacy Work

Queen Camilla’s commitment to this area is well-documented. She has visited numerous sexual assault referral centres and charities, listening to survivors and highlighting the work of support organisations. In 2013, she launched the Wash Bags project, providing essential toiletries to survivors following forensic examinations. Her consistent and compassionate engagement demonstrates a deep understanding of the issues, making her support for Fleet's campaign particularly meaningful.

Charities Demand Reform

Advocacy groups have also voiced their strong support for legal reform. Organisations like Rape Crisis England & Wales and the NSPCC have long campaigned for a more victim-centred justice system. They argue that the current law compounds the trauma of sexual assault and fails to prioritise the welfare of the child. These charities provide essential frontline services, from helplines to counselling, and their backing validates the urgency of Fleet's proposed changes.

A Society Confronting Uncomfortable Truths

The campaign forces a confrontation with the staggering reality of sexual violence in the UK. Figures compiled by a government body, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), indicate that roughly a quarter of all women have endured rape or sexual assault. This statistic implies that almost everyone either knows a survivor or is one themselves. Yet, as Fleet points out, a profound silence continues to surround the issue, allowing it to remain a hidden part of women's stories.

The Agony of the Justice System

This silence is intrinsically linked to the shortcomings of the legal framework for justice. Prosecution and conviction rates for rape remain alarmingly low. For the year ending March 2024, the charge rate for rape offences was just 2.6%. Many survivors do not report their assaults, fearing disbelief or a traumatic and ultimately fruitless legal process. This is why Fleet’s ability to prove her case is such an anomaly, and why a law dependent on a conviction is only a first step.

A Generational Shift in Perspective

At the heart of Fleet’s mission is a hope for a different future, one embodied by the arrival of her first granddaughter. Becoming a grandmother at forty, she says, feels like winning the jackpot, a stark contrast to the despair of becoming a mother at fifteen. She envisions a future where her grandchildren will find it unbelievable that women once felt compelled to hide the truth of their assaults.

Changing the Narrative for Good

Fleet hopes her grandchildren will one day ask why women did not simply speak out and how men could evade consequences with such little difficulty. Her campaign is a crucial part of creating that new reality. She feels it is a special honor to begin this dialogue, challenging the culture of shame and silence that has persisted for generations. The ultimate goal is to make the act of hiding the crime, not the crime itself, the unbelievable part of the story.