Harriet Wistrich
@HWistrich
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Lawyer and director of Centre for Women's Justice, founder member Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize group and Justice for Women and author of 'Sister in Law'
London
Joined October 2012
Excited to announce that my book Sister is Law will be published in May 2024. I lift the lid on some of the landmark cases I have fought, from Sally Challen to the undercover police scandal, revealing how terrifyingly often the law is not fit for purpose.
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Fantastic news just hot off the press: the House of Lords have voted in favour of @centreWJ amendments to the Domestic Abuse bill - creating statutory defences for women driven to offend due to domestic abuse - a moment of hope in a climate of misogyny.
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In anticipation of mansplainers: Penelope Jackson pleaded guilty to manslaughter but CPS determined to get murder, not so with men who strangle partners to death - misogyny rules : Domestic abuse charities condemn ‘harsh’ sentencing of Penelope Jackson
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Remembering Jean Charles de Menezes shot dead by police on the underground 15 years ago today - the family still seek justice and accountability - now asking why their campaign spied on by undercover police
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what sort of criminal justice system is this when the cps won't prosecute 98.5 % rape allegations but they put resources into a full trial to convict a woman of 'causing annoyance, inconvenience and anxiety' to a litigious convicted fraudster?
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Great news - government are finally persuaded of this necessary offence: Non-fatal strangulation set to become criminal offence in UK
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OMG Anthony Williams has just been given a five year sentence for strangling his wife to death after he 'just snapped'. This demonstrates the institutionalised sexism in the CJS as our report on women who kill launched yesterday highlights
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Having now got bail for Sally Challen I am attending the sentencing hearing of Packiam Ramanathan, 73 year old woman who killed her coercive and controlling husband, jury found her not guilty of murder so being sentenced for manslaughter. Lets hope Judge does not imprison her.
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Yesterday I was in the high court challenging the cps decision not to prosecute a man likely to have caused the death of his girlfriend following DV by him, today at the old bailey challenging cps determination to keep Sally Challen victim of abuse in prison.
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What chance do we have of holding the police accountable for violence against women? Ex-police watchdog chief Lockwood charged with rape
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I have had the honour of being invited to appear on Desert Island Discs to talk a bit about the soundtrack of my life - somewhat exposing and so difficult to select 8 discs. forever regretting - listen in on Jan 19th
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Cases like Sarah Everard's are not 'incredibly rare' and the police must admit it
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Filming partner without their consent during sex ruled a criminal offence
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It’s not just the worst men - how many ‘ordinary’ men chose to take part in this torture and how many failed to stop it?.
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Hooray - Supreme Court allows appeal of Nicola Stocker - her allegations on facebook that her former husband tried to strangle her were not defamatory as he had put pressure on her neck causing red marks - victory for common sense and for abused women and want to warn others.
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Interesting to be reminded of this article by @sisteroutrider in light of the outpouring of anger about Sarah Everard - the media must focus on all victims.Black women who go missing are neglected in a way white women aren't via @MetroUK.
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Big challenge in the court of appeal today - thousands of rape victims survivors, their friends, families and supporters hoping for some justice and accountability. Wish us luck!Rape victims speak out ahead of legal challenge to CPS policy
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Footballer cleared of raping sleeping woman and sending naked photos to teammates - this is a disgrace - jurors just don’t want to convict young fit men - shame on them!
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The Crown Prosecution Service is failing rape victims - so I took them to court to get answers
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A pregnant woman jumped in front of a train – police recorded an illegal abortion
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We planted this rose bush twenty five years ago with ashes of Emma Humphreys and in memory of her - each year without fail it produces the most beautiful flowers
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Met Police have faced 622 sex claims - but just five officers have been axed
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Met police have finally appreciated the scale of male violence against women - radical feminists used to be ridiculed for such views but this is the horrific truth.
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Looking forward (a bit nervously) to tomorrow @BBCWomansHour takeover - do tune in and hope you enjoy.
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Very saddened to share news of the death of Jalna Hamner yesterday aged 91 - a trail blazing feminist activist and academic who inspired so many and a wonderful friend - a life to remember and celebrate
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Justice at last for tireless campaign led by Nikki's mum, Sharon Henderson - 30 years on from the horrific murder of her daughter. Proud to have supported Sharon to challenge police - David Boyd found guilty of 1992 murder of seven-year-old Nikki Allan
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About time - this was a grotesque injustice UK woman accused of making up Cyprus gang-rape claims has conviction quashed
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I am really excited to have been invited to guest edit an edition for @BBCWomansHour next Tuesday 23 July - do tune in #womanshour @centreWJ.
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Brilliant victory for three grooming gang victims who secured this historic apology and damages from greater Manchester police ten years on.
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My clients were John Worboys’ victims. The bill of rights would undo their victory | Harriet Wistrich
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Men who kill women get far greater sympathy from the jury then women who kill men who abuse them. This latest illustration below should be read next to our report
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Today @centreWJ had to pay the CPS £75,000, constituting hundreds of donations from rape survivors after we ultimately failed in our legal challenge of the DPP's responsibility for the collapse in rape prosecutions - lets hope they use it to reverse their appalling record.
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Jo Swinson does not understand the nature of violence against women or how exemptions in the Equality Act operate.
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Another extraordinary story of a woman's decades long battle for justice, overcoming not just trauma and abuse but a failing criminal justice system - proud that @centreWJ were able to assist with part of it
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This is revelatory and unsurprising to those of us working in the area - all to familiar with devaluing or women’s lives and homophobia
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My wonderful mother died one month ago today - oh how the world has changed since then Enid Wistrich obituary | London | The Guardian
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I think Liverpool crown court tops the charts for the most women blaming jury decisions - female victims of DV who kill partners who abuse them are invariably convicted of murder - whilst men who lose their tempers get manslaughter.
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Suicide as a consequence of domestic abuse is more common than homicide - the test for manslaughter may be too rigorous as this awful case demonstrates? Ryan Wellings killed me,’ she wrote. But the jury disagreed.
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“there was no evidence of past domestic abuse and the couple spent 90% of their time together” We know many victims do not report and spending 90% time together might be because of control : man who killed wife will not have five-year sentence increased
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Packiam Ramanathan - 73 year old who killed her husband - sentenced to two years four months - despite acknowledged severe abuse - what purpose served by further imprisonment? Why do cps prosecute these cases with gusto and ignoring abuse @justice4women.
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We now love the Spanish women’s football World Cup champions - go gals! Spain’s World Cup stars refuse to play until Luis Rubiales steps down.
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This just arrived in the post ! @TorvaBooks have done a lovely production …publication date 2 May
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Calls to review five-year jail term for man who strangled wife in Wales
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Our criminal justice system does not get it: Dad who attacked woman walking home at night avoids jail 'as he would lose job'
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Extraordinarily courageous woman exposing astounding horror of male violence - how many ‘’respectable’ men thought they could get away with torture: Woman tells trial of husband who invited men to rape her: ‘I was sacrificed on altar of vice’
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This is monstrous - the contempt for women’s rights to bodily autonomy and the scandalous priorities of our criminal justice system: Woman jailed for taking abortion pills after legal limit.
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.@OwenJones84 - why are you are you encouraging attacks on black lesbian who has had to overcome prejudice all her life?.
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Following the awful case of Natalie Connolly, a group of feminists have set up a new campaign highlighting the number of men seeking to rely on 'rough sex' and BDSM as a defence to murder
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And here is another case cps insisted on trying for murder and wouldn’t acknowledge serious abuse Woman, 73, who beat husband to death after he treated her "like a slave" is jailed - Mirror Online
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Thanks for the enthusiasm! This is a proof copy - but looking forward to publication though not till spring. .
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Fake serious incident signs erected in London to highlight police misogyny
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The problem with Cressida Dick is that she put loyalty to her officers over reassurance to victims and the public. We saw that in de Menezes and then in Everard. No doubt a survival mechanism for any woman at the top of that misogynist rat's nest
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Long awaited damning report into the abject police failures to protect victims of child sexual exploitation. In Rochdale - biggest scandal is the criminalisation of victims Police 'left children at mercy of grooming gangs' in Rochdale
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In other breaking news - @centreWJ lodged papers in court to challenge the CPS who are responsible for the collapse in rape prosecutions
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Monday evening 9 December BBC2 will screen The Sally Challen case - I hope it will highlight deficiencies in the criminal justice system which disportionately punishes victims of domestic abuse and that it shines a light on coercive control
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The state is responsible for their safety - if they're at risk of being sexually abused there's potentially a human rights violation there.
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Man who throttled Tinder date is first to be jailed under new strangulation law
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Kick ass Kurdish feminists following first ever conference on sexual violence in Suleimanya
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Another example of CPS misogyny - they won’t prosecute for rape and classic DV but had happy to make an example of a vulnerable victim and drive her to suicide:.Caroline Flack's friends feared she was suicidal night before death, inquest told
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Today programme questioned why only 20 cases but now 66 - we haven’t gone out looking for them these are just women abused by police officers that found us - it’s an epidemic.
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More domestic abuse victims are taking own lives than those killed by partner via @c4ciaran.
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"Why should I continue to be judged and stigmatised so many years after I got away from the hellish life I entered as a teenager?” Important legal challenge tomorrow
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As usual - "not worth the paper they are written on" - its all very well creating more and more laws and measures to protect women from violence but the police and courts need to enforce them.
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We lost in court but won in the court of public opinion - will keep fighting.
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Very important judgment in family court - Mrs Justice Lieven, “the court should be slow in all cases to be used as a means by which one parent seeks further control over the other. Particularly where there have already been findings of coercive control”.
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David Challen is working with Justice for Women to campaign in support of his mother's appeal against her murder conviction for killing his dad - please support his brave campaign for justice.
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Outside the court today in advance of our critical judicial review permission hearing against cps- we know there would have been hundreds of supporters outside the court if we hadn’t had to cancel due to Covid 19 #rapejusticefail
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What more evidence do we need for the deep misogyny embedded in the criminal justice system: four years for a man who strangles a woman to death, women who kill to survive convicted of murder
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Can’t believe my ears from Steve harsthorn chair of police federation that culture in policing has improved and they don’t need to change misconduct process - that’s not what we @centreWJ have heard or seen from victims of police abusers.
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Maggie oliver resigned from the police because they reneged on their promise to treat the Rochdale girls with dignity and denied them the justice they deserved - she has now set up a charity to help young women at risk of sexual exploration
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Brilliant piece by David Challen: ".at the original trial, Judge Christopher Critchlow told her that she had been “eaten up with jealousy at our father’s “friendships” with other women. Nothing could have been further from the truth. ".
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I spoke on women's hour on their excellent feature on the terrible suicide of Kiena Dawes which was preceded by a campaign of terror by her boyfriend Ryan Wellings - we need to understand better the process of entrapment in such coecive and controling relationships.
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Male violence against women is a national emergency - women's sector manifesto seeks political party commitments to properly tackling this issue and a new government doing more to address it
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Cyber stalking by the state as a ‘solution’ to violence against women and girls - and a private sector money making venture - whatever next? New 888 service to protect women ‘wins Priti Patel’s support’
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More proof that the criminal justice system is institutionally misogynist - contrast this case to the scores of women serving long sentences for killing their abusers as highlighted iMan who killed wife 'in act of great violence' jailed for five years
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Thank you so much @lawsocgazette for nominating me and amazing to win #lawsocawards - very sorry I was not able to be there.
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The government's announcement of tougher sentencing for dangerous men in the bill to be debated today is a diversion from the real problem - that is the near impunity that exists for sex offenders - we need more arrested and prosecuted.
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Rape statistics released today are appalling - I am on today programme with max hill after 730 today to discuss what the cause is - we say fault lies first and foremost with cps.
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Oh wow a wonderful first national newspaper review from the fabalulous @YvonneRoberts also highlighting the important work of @Justiceforwomen @southallblacksisters and @centreWJ
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A very brave woman who waived her anonymity to fight for justice and helped change the law Emily Hunt: A man filmed me naked. Finally he’s been brought to justice | Times2 | The Times
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Woman, 73, who beat husband to death is cleared of murder - so close to date and similar facts to Sally Challen case - and like Sally’s case cps insisted on going through with murder case instead of accepting plea to manslaughter
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We are calling for greater protection from disclosure of therapy records so that women who report sexual violence to the police can embark properly on the therapeutic healing process.
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Harriet Wistrich: Violent men are escaping justice because system is woefully inadequate… via @Sunday_Post.
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Phew - I hope this judgment will caution wealthy men from seeking to silence women who speak out about abuse.
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I was presenting at an international event on violence against women and girls for #16DaysOfActivism when we got zoom bombed by racist and misogynist porn shared on screen - they will stop at nothing but p try to silence women from speaking - they failed!.
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What a fantastic gesture - Ealing rape victim's family donate £10,000 to legal claim against CPS
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this is great news - hope they look at the model @centreWJ have evolved over the last few years for such advice - there is no shortage of need.
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C4’s news report is based on @centreWJ ground breaking police supercomplaint on police perpetrated abuse.
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My colleague Kate Ellis @centreWJ has worked tirelessly to compile mass of evidence in support of our legal challenge of the DPP - great team of women lawyers in court of appeal today: Rape prosecutions ‘dropped’ as CPS set conviction target
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Southall Black Sisters still fighting at 40 | Law | The Times - they are my inspiration - keep on for another 40 years!
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