Post-separation abuse in the UK: The fight for freedom

08/23/23 • 18 min

In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Juli Simond tells the story of Charlotte, a resilient mother who battles through the post-separation abuse she endured for over a decade in the UK. Trapped in an abusive relationship, she fought for her newborn child's safety with every ounce of strength she had. But just as she thought she had escaped her abuser's clutches, she stumbled upon a cruel truth. The system that was supposed to protect her failed to recognize her harrowing journey. Little did she know, the unforgiving labyrinth of the UK's legal system held yet another unexpected twist, leaving her and her child's future hanging in the balance. Reporting on the ground by Sophie Smith.

"Even though I left him over a decade ago, he's still managing to harass, intimidate, and abuse me using the family courts." - Charlotte

About our reporter: Sophie SmithKey moments

00:00:00 - Introduction,

00:02:45 - Leaving the Abuser,

00:07:56 - Post-Separation Abuse,

00:10:19 - Court Battle,

00:13:12 - Lack of Recognition,

00:15:49 - The Importance of Transparency in Family Courts,

00:17:34 - Fighting for Reform,

Credits and staff

The second season of Europe Talks Back is produced in partnership with Sphera Network, the first network of independent media in Europe to reinvent the media space and paint a new picture of the continent through impactful, unbiased, raw and authentic stories.

The producer of Europe Talks Back is Maria Dios.

The host and narrator of Europe Talks Back is Juli Simond.

Sound editing and mixing is by Jeremy Bocquet.

Reporting for this story by Sophie Smith.

The executive producer of Europe Talks Back is Alexander Damiano Ricci.

Social Media

https://www.linkedin.com/linkedin.com/company/bulle-media/
https://www.twitter.com/twitter.com/europodpodcasts
https://www.europod.eu/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Even though I left him over a decade ago, he's still managing to harass, intimidate, and abuse me using the family courts." - Charlotte

About our reporter: Sophie SmithKey moments

00:00:00 - Introduction,

00:02:45 - Leaving the Abuser,

00:07:56 - Post-Separation Abuse,

00:10:19 - Court Battle,

00:13:12 - Lack of Recognition,

00:15:49 - The Importance of Transparency in Family Courts,

00:17:34 - Fighting for Reform,

Credits and staff

The producer of Europe Talks Back is Maria Dios.

The host and narrator of Europe Talks Back is Juli Simond.

Sound editing and mixing is by Jeremy Bocquet.

Reporting for this story by Sophie Smith.

The executive producer of Europe Talks Back is Alexander Damiano Ricci.

Social Media

https://www.linkedin.com/linkedin.com/company/bulle-media/
https://www.twitter.com/twitter.com/europodpodcasts
https://www.europod.eu/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Behind the scenes of "Italy's shrinking lakes: the case of Como"

Producer María Dios invites Italian journalist Maria Colonna to discuss her work as a reporter and scriptwriter for a previous podcast episode, "Italy's shrinking lakes: the case of Como". The conversation explores the water crisis at the heart of Italy's climate emergency. Maria Colonna uncovers the hidden impact of climate change on picturesque Lake Como as she highlights the need to raise awareness of the urgent need for action to protect this fragile ecosystem.

Climate change is not just a topic we hear about, it's something you experience and witness with your own eyes. - Maria Colonna

About Maria Colonna

Maria Colonna is a documentary photography assistant and freelance journalist. She is a member of Fuorifuoco, a participatory journalism collective inspired by slow journalism principles, operating in Como, Lombardy. The collective aims to address wide-ranging themes while focusing on their local impacts.

Key moments

00:00:05 - Introduction,

00:02:14 - Slow Journalism Principles,

00:04:49 - The Effects of Climate Change on Lake Como,

00:11:50 - The Hidden Ecosystem of Lake Como,

00:13:50 - Raising Awareness and Education,

00:17:31 - Press Review - Climate Change,

Credits and staff

The producer of Europe Talks Back is Maria Dios.

The host and narrator of Europe Talks Back is Juli Simond.

Sound editing and mixing is by Jeremy Bocquet.

The executive producer of Europe Talks Back is Alexander Damiano Ricci.

Social Media

https://www.linkedin.com/linkedin.com/company/bulle-media/
https://www.twitter.com/twitter.com/europodpodcasts
https://www.europod.eu/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Behind the scenes of "Post-separation abuse in the UK: The fight for freedom"

Producer María Dios invites journalist Sophie Smith to discuss her work as a reporter and scriptwriter for a previous podcast episode, "Post-separation abuse in the UK: The fight for freedom". The conversation explores the dynamics of domestic and post-separation abuse in the UK. Sophie Smith delves into the hurdles that survivors confront within the family court system, unveiling a complex system fraught with challenges.

About Sophie Smith

Sophie Smith is a Belgian-British freelance journalist based in London, England. She has written for national outlets including the Observer and Private Eye magazine.