Campaigner Sammy Woodhouse: "I don’t care about politics or parties — if you’re an MP, I want your signature"

More than 400,000 people signed Sammy’s public petition through Change.org when she highlighted her own struggle last month following controversial family court proceedings.

And now, 49 cross-party MPs have backed her campaign after shadow policing minister, Louise Haigh, tabled an early day motion (EDM) calling on the Government to amend the Children’s Act 1989 to remove rapists parental rights and to review the relevant practice directions to prevent rapists from being notified of family court proceedings. 

EDMs are used to put on record the views of individual MPs or to draw attention to specific events or campaigns. By attracting the signatures of other MPs, they can be used to demonstrate the level of parliamentary support for a particular cause or point of view.

Sammy said it was a “step in the right direction” and she was now urging the remaining 600-plus MPs to formally back her campaign.

“I don’t care about politics or parties — if you’re an MP I want your signature,” said Sammy.

“Kevin Barron (Rother Valley MP) has signed it, but Sarah Champion (Rotherham MP) and John Healey (Wentworth and Deanre) haven’t yet — although did back it publicly — so I’m going to be putting pressure on them.

“I think they will definitely sign it.”

Sammy waived her anonymity for a second time in December to expose care system failings after Arshid Hussain — jailed in 2016 for sexually abusing her and eight other girls — was offered by Rotherham Council the chance to apply for parental rights over her son, which he decided against.

The council said it had been acting within the law, but has promised to review Sammy’s case.

Mother-of-two Sammy joined forces with Sheffield MP Louise Haigh to call on the Government to amend the law and said her campaign had gathered pace quickly.

Ms Haigh called it “abhorrent” that the law allowed convicted rapists the chance to access victims’ children.

Sammy also urged members of the public to ask their MPs to back the motion.

To see which MPs have backed Sammy’s campaign visit https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/52488/parental-rights-of-convicted-rapists.