Story perspectives

Study Finds 72% Family Court Victim-Blaming, PM Orders Appeal

6/11/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Right to Equality study, presented to MPs on 9 June 2026, found 72.5 % of English and Welsh family-court judgments contain victim-blaming language.
Analysis of 91 judgments recorded 530 victim-blaming instances, noting mothers are scrutinised while fathers are contextualised, with survivors saying judges treat women as perpetrators.
After outcry over a judge sparing three teenage rapists, the prime minister referred the case to the Court of Appeal, citing gender-bias concerns.

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Story summary

The Right to Equality study, presented to MPs on 9 June 2026, found 72.5 % of English and Welsh family-court judgments contain victim-blaming language.
Analysis of 91 judgments recorded 530 victim-blaming instances, noting mothers are scrutinised while fathers are contextualised, with survivors saying judges treat women as perpetrators.
After outcry over a judge sparing three teenage rapists, the prime minister referred the case to the Court of Appeal, citing gender-bias concerns.