Episode description

Cristina Odone and Julia Margo from Fair Hearing expose how Britain's family courts fail domestic abuse survivors. After enduring 10 years of litigation and 37 hearings, Julia transformed her experience into systemic change—training over 200 senior judges and establishing domestic abuse education at the Judicial College.

Together, they secured £283m government funding for victim support and fought for landmark legislative reform. Since recording, amendments to the Victims and Courts Bill now automatically remove parental responsibility from serious sex offenders who've abused their own child. The government announced plans to repeal the 'presumption of contact' recital in the Children's Act.

Yet 99% of family court cases still result in unsupervised contact, even where serious abuse is proven. Cristina and Julia reveal why: 80% legal aid cuts, pseudo-experts pushing parental alienation theory, and Article 8 rights that make reform near-impossible.

One in four adults experiences domestic abuse. The evidence for reform is overwhelming. So why won't institutions change?

Content warning: This episode discusses domestic violence, child abuse and suicide. Listener discretion is advised.

Key quotes

"I lost my cognitive function for a time... PTSD and the health impacts of domestic abuse are treatable and one can recover. I've recovered."

"19 children were killed over 18 years by a parent who had been accused of domestic abuse. That's 19 children over 18 years."

"For a victim, it is not the outcome of the hearing that is so important, it is the fact that she has been heard. Validation is so important to them."

"I wouldn't be working in this area if I didn't think there was the potential for change. I've seen so much change since we started working in this area."

Contact

Email: press@addresstheharm.org

Instagram / TikTok / X @addresstheharm

Take action

Support our crowdfund at https://crowdfunder.co.uk/addresstheharm

Hosted by: Leah Brown FRSA (@leahtalks_)
Production: Leah Talks Ltd © 2025

Bonus episode 1

After each episode, a special update will follow.

Since our first episode was published there have been extraordinary developments. Our podcast host, Leah Brown FRSA addresses crucial clarifications about the infected blood scandal. We also report on letters and messages received, provide an update on our campaign and explain that no survivor's experience invalidates another.

Get involved

Email us with corrections or your story: press@addresstheharm.org
Visit addresstheharm.org to read our white paper, support our crowdfund, and follow @addresstheharm on social media.

Episode description

Andy Evans was infected with HIV and hepatitis C at age five through contaminated haemophilia treatment provided by the NHS. He's one of the few to survive the 42 years since. In 2006, he co-founded Tainted Blood to advocate for the 30,000+ people infected by contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s. About 3,000 have died.

After 18 years of campaigning, the public inquiry reported in May 2024. Rishi Sunak called it "a day of shame for the British state." Documentary evidence was deliberately destroyed. Compensation is finally being paid.

Andy discusses the decades-long cover-up, why 40 years is too long to wait for justice, and his message to other survivors fighting for accountability.

Content warning: This episode discusses difficult topics including violence, abuse, terminal illness, and death. Listener discretion is advised.

Key quotes

"Around about four-fifths of us with HIV are now dead... It's carried a great sense of responsibility because these are people that I met over the years and who are no longer with us."

"For such a long time we were cast aside as conspiracy theorists, that this couldn't happen in the United Kingdom."

"You need to have the publicity, you need to have the recognition, you need to have the understanding of the general public. And only with that can you make progress."

In memoriam

Gareth and Hayden Lewis, Darren Flack, Gary Kelly, Sue Gorman, Mike Dorricott, and all those who fought for justice but didn't live to see it.

Contact

Email: press@addresstheharm.org

Instagram / TikTok / Facebook / X @addresstheharm

Take action

Support our crowdfund at https://crowdfunder.co.uk/addresstheharm

Hosted by: Leah Brown FRSA (@leahtalks_)
Production: Leah Talks Ltd © 2025

#AddressTheHarm #InfectedBloodScandal #TaintedBlood #InstitutionalAccountability