Who Is Vulnerable?

Smith Partnership Solicitors, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, shares the concerns over a recently reported case where a man who forced his wife to drink bleach and beat her with a cricket bat has been spared jail.  It is understood that MP’s are calling for the case to be raised with the Attorney General and Justice Secretary.

The case concerns Mustafa Bashir aged 34, who was spared Prison by a Judge this week at Manchester Crown Court.  Amongst other things the Judge said he was not convinced that his wife Fakhara Karim was a vulnerable person because she had friends and had graduated from University with a 2.1 degree. 

Smith Partnership recognises that education is not a barrier to domestic abuse.  Domestic abuse crosses all barriers, age, race, gender, education, wealth.  The idea that a women’s education and status or her friendships can be used as a tool to assess her vulnerability complete fails to understand the nature of domestic abuse and who can be affected.

Ruth Jones, Partner in the Family Department at Smith Partnership says “If the comments attributed to this Judge are true, then it would seem to show a shocking lack of insight into domestic abuse and its impact.  We are fortunate in the judiciary that we deal with locally that there is a good understanding and awareness of the impact of domestic violence on men and women of all ages, classes and backgrounds.”

If you’d like to find out more about the legal services offered by Smith Partnership, don’t hesitate to contact us via info@smithpartnership.co.uk. Alternatively, speak to a member of our team directly on 0330 123 1229.