Kathleen Funchion calls for Valerie's Law to protect children
Kathleen Funchion spoke in the European Parliament about domestic violence and urged immediate enactment of Valerie's Law. She warned that a legal loophole currently allows a partner who intentionally kills their partner to retain guardianship rights of their shared children and called for urgent reform.
Main demand
Funchion called on the incoming Irish justice minister to change the law in Ireland and enact Valerie's Law without delay. She also urged this parliament and the justice commissioner to ensure Valerie's Law is enacted across member states.
Legal loophole outlined
She described the loophole that permits a person who has intentionally killed their partner to retain guardianship rights over shared children, forcing grieving families to challenge the situation in court.
Campaigner praised
Funchion commended David French from Cork for campaigning vigorously to change the law after his sister Valerie was murdered.
Children's protection emphasised
She stressed that children in these situations must be protected and that legal gaps must not add to the nightmare faced by families. Funchion insisted that action is needed now.
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Stay in the loop with the biggest moments from the European Parliament Thank you Chair. I want to raise the issue of domestic violence and a law that we should be enacting which is called Valerie's Law. So currently an absolutely horrific loophole exists within the law in Ireland and other member states, which means that when a partner intentionally kills their partner, that person still retains guardianship rights of their shared children. It's actually difficult to believe that this is still the case and that family and loved ones of those murdered, already going through the worst thing imaginable, have to then deal with the added trauma of challenging this in the courts. I want to commend in particular David French from Cork in Ireland. He has been campaigning vigorously to get this law changed as his own sister Valerie was murdered by her partner a number of years ago. I want to call on the incoming Irish justice minister to change this in Ireland and enact Valerie's law without delay and I want to also call on this parliament and the justice commissioner to ensure that Valerie's law is enacted throughout our member states. Children in these situations must be protected and legal loopholes must not add to their nightmare. Action is needed now. Thank you. Like, share and subscribe and let us know your thoughts in the comments. We'd love to hear from you.
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