On September 15, Parliament debated the failure of the family courts to protect children and victims of domestic abuse. The government was urged to review the system to ensure that children’s safety is at the heart of all decisions and that survivors of domestic violence are protected. Joy Hibbins, chief executive of Gloucestershire charity Suicide Crisis, speaks of her first-hand experience of the failures of the family courts. No real names are used.

ANNA first came to our Suicide Crisis Centre in the autumn of 2013. Her immediate concern was for her elder daughter, Keira, although she was also very worried about Amy, her other daughter.

She said they had revealed that they had been sexually assaulted in childhood by her ex-partner. Both girls had been interviewed by the police, who felt there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.

Anna revealed that she herself had suicidal thoughts at times. Although she had custody of her two elder daughters, she had lost custody of her younger children.

She said she’d been the victim of domestic abuse over a number of years and there was a police record of some of the incidents.

As well as physical violence, there was emotional abuse from her ex-partner and this had impacted on her mental health. When someone is repeatedly telling you that you are worthless, you eventually believe it yourself, she told me.

Her mental health was cited by her ex-partner in court as a main reason for his seeking custody of the children. Despite a report documenting the domestic abuse, with dates of incidents, the judge gave custody of the younger children to the father.

When social services were informed of the sexual assault allegations, they undertook their own investigation, but they suggested that Anna had encouraged her daughters to fabricate the offences in order to regain custody of her other children. They later acknowledged that there was no evidence to show that she had done so.

In the weeks that followed Anna attended further appointments. She quickly felt able to trust us, and encouraged Keira to come and see us. We arranged for someone from Rape Crisis to see Keira regularly at our Suicide Crisis Centre.

Amy came to see us some weeks later. In her first appointment, she referred to the sexual assaults. Her distress was so clearly genuine that I fully believe she had been assaulted in childhood. It is profoundly distressing to be aware of this, and know that the person who she alleges assaulted her has been given custody of her younger siblings. I made very clear to social services my opinion on this.

Anna and her daughters have returned to us for support in the last three years.

In Anna’s case, it is when she has to return to the family court, whether it is because her ex is not giving her the access to her younger children or because of some other breach of the court order.

It causes her so much anguish every time she has to return there and be in the presence of the man who abused her and, she believes, sexually assaulted her daughters.

I find it extremely difficult to accept that Anna lost custody of her younger children to a man who had been violent towards her – and allegedly to her elder daughters.

We urgently need to review the way the courts treat individuals like Anna, Keira and Amy, and their siblings. The safety of children must be at the heart of decision-making.

For information about the Suicide Crisis Centre, visit suicidecrisis.co.uk