MP recalls childhood abuse as he calls for law change to make domestic abuse a specific criminal offence
An MP who decided until recently to "never speak" about the abuse he suffered as a child has shared his harrowing story so that "no kid has to go through" what he did.
Josh Babarinde describes being physically abused by his mother's former partner from the age of four, and remembers crying himself to sleep under the covers "hearing shouts, hearing screams and things smash".
He says he became hypervigilant growing up and felt safe at school but "like he was treading on eggshells" in his own home.
The Eastbourne MP, who is also the Liberal Democrats' justice spokesperson, says his experience has driven his politics. He is calling on the government to stop abusers "slipping through the net" and being released from prison early.
Opening up about his story in his twenties was "difficult" but looking back, Mr Babarinde says, he is "so proud of the resilience of that kid".
The MP recently found his childhood diary containing Star Wars drawings alongside an entry he wrote from the bathroom. The diary, he recalls, wrote: "I'm really going to try to go (to the toilet) but I can't. Oh my goodness, I'm gonna be in so much trouble, I'm going to get smacked so hard."
Then an entry five minutes later: "I still haven't done anything, I'm going to be in so much trouble."
He says reading the entry reminded him of how "helpless" he felt.
"It was mortifying," he says. "An abuser takes away your sense of self-worth."
The 32-year-old is calling on the government to change the law to make domestic abuse a specific criminal offence. The change would mean, he argues, abusers can no longer effectively disguise their history under other offences like assault.
He says the Ministry of Justice's early release scheme, which has seen thousands of prisoners released early to ease overcrowding, has failed to exclude domestic abusers despite government promises because there is no formal categorisation for offenders.
It is impossible, he argues, to know exactly how many domestic abusers are in prison currently so perpetrators are "slipping through the net" on early release.
2:39
Mr Babarinde says the uncertainty means victims and survivors are not able to prepare for their abuser's release.
He said: "They might need to move house or move their kids to a new school, shop in different places. All of these kind of things are so important, and so that's why that commitment the government made was so important."
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: "Our thoughts are with all victims of domestic abuse - it takes immense courage to speak out.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
31 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘Enemies of Labour' to benefit from Corbyn-led party, says peer
Lord Kinnock has criticised plans by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana to form a new left-wing party, saying it would "only assist the enemies of Labour". Kinnock mockingly suggested the new party be called the "Farage assistance group", arguing that division on the left would benefit right-wing parties such as the Conservatives and Reform UK. Ms Sultana announced her resignation from Labour and her intention to co-lead a new party with Mr Corbyn last week, saying they aim to tackle poverty and inequality, and oppose war. Mr Corbyn appeared to be surprised by Sultana's announcement, issuing a non-committal statement, and his team reportedly urged her to retract it. Polling data indicates a hypothetical Corbyn-led left-leaning party could attract 10 per cent of voters, primarily drawing support from Labour, the Greens, Lib Dems, and the SNP.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Sunderland-wide anti-social behaviour hubs a step closer
The creation of an anti-social behaviour (ASB) hub in every part of a city is a step closer after three new facilities were confirmed, a police force has hub scheme is expanding to Hendon and Pennywell in Sunderland and Concord and Sulgrave in Washington after data showed higher levels of ASB follows the project's success in Southwick, Hetton and the city centre, where ASB incidents dropped by up to a third, Sunderland City Council leader Kelly Chequer said the new hubs were expected to open in the late summer or in the autumn. Ch Supt Mark Hall of Northumbria Police said: "Launching these additional hubs means we are one step closer to having hubs that cover every ward area in Sunderland."He said similar projects in other parts of the city had been "extremely successful". The local authority said over the last year, incidences of ASB had dropped by about a third in the city centre and Southwick areas and by a fifth in the Hetton and Easington Lane hub area."Dozens of community protection notices, warnings and acceptable behaviour agreements have also been issued across the three areas," a council spokesman council leader Michael Mordey urged people in the newly identified areas to get in touch about their ASB concerns."Residents have seen real benefits from these projects as the issues that matter to them most are tackled," Mordey added. Each hub will have its own community officers, safety specialists and dedicated police support. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Reeves pours millions into Peak District carbon capture scheme
Rachel Reeves's National Wealth Fund is pouring millions of pounds into a major carbon capture scheme in the Peak District as Labour ploughs ahead with its ambitious net zero push. The Chancellor has announced plans to invest £28.6m in the Peak Cluster project, which will eventually see emissions from cement and lime factories in the area stored deep below the Irish Sea. Ministers said the scheme, which is the world's largest cement decarbonisation project, would prevent more than 3m tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere every year while ensuring a secure domestic supply of cement and lime products, which are critical to the UK's construction and manufacturing industries. Cement and lime are two of the most difficult industrial sectors to decarbonise because of the high levels of carbon dioxide produced during the manufacturing process, which cannot be replaced by alternative green fuels. It marks the National Wealth Fund's first investment in carbon capture since Ms Reeves identified the process as a strategic priority earlier this year. The Government has pledged to spend up to £22bn on carbon capture and storage projects over the next 25 years. Carbon capture – where CO2 emissions are captured at source before being transported and stored underground – is viewed as a key way of preventing emissions from power stations and energy-intensive industries from being released into the atmosphere. However, the Government's focus on carbon capture is controversial given the technology remains experimental. In a report earlier this year, MPs branded carbon capture 'unproven' and accused Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, of taking a high-risk 'gamble'. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the technology had never been tested, was likely to prove very expensive and may not work. It also warned of a 'significant' impact on consumer bills. The £22bn pledge equates to £800 per UK household, though this cost would be spread over a number of years. Nevertheless, Mr Miliband has put carbon capture at the heart of his plan to decarbonise Britain's power system by 2030. Ministers hope it will help to strip up to 30m tonnes of CO2 from the country's emissions by the end of the decade and more than 100m tonnes by 2050. Alongside doubts over the effectiveness of carbon capture, the Government has also faced criticism from campaign groups such as Greenpeace, who argue that the process simply prolongs the life of fossil fuel industries and say the money should be spent on green energy projects such as offshore wind instead. Ministers said the Peak Cluster project will create around 1,500 new jobs across Derbyshire, Staffordshire and the North West and support a further 2,000 existing roles. The taxpayer funding comes alongside £31m from private backers including Japan's Sumitomo Corporation and local partners such as Tarmac and Breedon. Mr Miliband said: 'This landmark investment will catalyse our carbon capture sector to deliver thousands of highly skilled jobs and growth across our industrial heartlands, as part of our Plan for Change. 'Workers in the North Sea and Britain's manufacturing heartlands will drive forward the country's industrial renewal, positioning them at the forefront of the UK's clean energy transition.' The National Wealth Fund will invest at least £5.8bn in net zero projects including carbon capture, hydrogen, gigafactories and electric vehicle supply chains by the end of the decade.
