Rishi Sunak warned to close legal loophole and ban evil wife-killers from controlling their kids behind bars
EVIL wife-killers must be banned from controlling their kids from behind bars, Rishi Sunak has been warned.
Shocking loopholes in the law mean that men who kill their partners still have the right to stop their children from travelling abroad, and can request their school reports, medical records and photographs.
And it can cost families thousands of pounds to strip them of their rights and block them from contact.
Bereaved families say they are still being emotionally tortured by locked-up killers.
Campaigners have called on the PM and Justice Secretary to step in to change the law.
Jade Ward, who should have turned 29 last week, was stabbed and strangled by her partner at home as their four children slept in 2021.
read more on prisons
From prison, her controlling killer Russell Marsh - who inflicted an 18cm slash wound across her face - still has a say over their four children, aged between 4 and 11, despite being served with a 25-year sentence.
In a desperate plea to the PM, Jade's parents told The Sun killer dads must be automatically stripped of their parental rights when they are found guilty.
Paul Ward, 56, and wife Karen, 52, say their cries for help have fallen on deaf ears.
Mum Karen told The Sun their daughter's killer just wanted to "inflict even more sorrow" on their heartbroken family.
Most read in The Sun
Voice shaking, she said: “My plea to Rishi Sunak is to please look at this from the family’s perspective.
“If we had the money to go to court and fight this ourselves, we would. We wouldn’t be sitting here.
“We don’t have that kind of money.
"The four boys need new passports. He is going to take as long as he can to agree to the boys having passports.
"Medical conditions, he’s got a right to know.
"He’s recently asked for photos of the boys and it’s the boys who have said no to that."
As Karen describes her smiley brunette daughter, Paul broke down in tears.
She said: “Everybody loved her.
“She had her own style of clothes. She could pull any outfit or hairstyle off.
“I know everyone says this but honestly she was beautiful inside and out.”
Paul added: “What else? What else do we need to have with all these petition signatures?”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer today vowed to force a vote in parliament to “put an end to this abusive behaviour and ensure all wife-killers lose legal rights over their children”.
An online petition to change the law has already racked up over 130,000 signatures.
Shadow Justice Minister Ellie Reeves MP said: “It is indefensible that under the Conservatives, men who kill their partners exercise control over surviving children from their prison cell.
“One year on, the government has failed to act, placing continued strain and trauma on families.
“Labour will protect children and put the rights of victims above these vile killers.”
A Government spokesperson said: “This was a horrific crime and our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Jade Ward.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“Judges are required to put the welfare of children first and can effectively remove all rights and powers from a parent who has murdered the other.
"We have also asked the Family Procedure Rule Committee to look into how the processes for applying to restrict parental responsibility can be made simpler and quicker for families."