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| Natalie Fleet: Bolsover MP who was raped gets backing over planned law change | Natalie Fleet: Bolsover MP who was raped gets backing over planned law change |
| (22 days later) | |
| Labour's Natalie Fleet said she used to tell her friends: "I can't be an MP - I was a teenage parent" | Labour's Natalie Fleet said she used to tell her friends: "I can't be an MP - I was a teenage parent" |
| "You've ruined your life, not only for you, but for your unborn daughter." | "You've ruined your life, not only for you, but for your unborn daughter." |
| Natalie Fleet fell pregnant at 15 and says she was made to feel like it was entirely her fault, despite being a victim of "statutory rape". | Natalie Fleet fell pregnant at 15 and says she was made to feel like it was entirely her fault, despite being a victim of "statutory rape". |
| The Labour MP for Bolsover in Derbyshire is now campaigning to change the law to stop rapists having parental rights - and says she has the prime minister's backing. | |
| Fleet grew up on a council estate in Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, where she started seeing an older man. | Fleet grew up on a council estate in Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, where she started seeing an older man. |
| "He tells me all the things a young girl wants to hear, and I thought that it was lovely," she said. "I thought that it was serious." | "He tells me all the things a young girl wants to hear, and I thought that it was lovely," she said. "I thought that it was serious." |
| But when she told him she was pregnant, she realised it was anything but. | But when she told him she was pregnant, she realised it was anything but. |
| She added: "It was all about him, essentially, making sure that he had as much sex as he could with a girl under 16." | She added: "It was all about him, essentially, making sure that he had as much sex as he could with a girl under 16." |
| Reflecting on attitudes growing up, Fleet said: "It was all about - 'you shouldn't have done this. You've ruined your life, not only for you, but for your unborn daughter'. | Reflecting on attitudes growing up, Fleet said: "It was all about - 'you shouldn't have done this. You've ruined your life, not only for you, but for your unborn daughter'. |
| "So I just took that. I had no reason to question that." | "So I just took that. I had no reason to question that." |
| Fleet said the Blair-era Labour government did some "really good work" on teenage pregnancy. | Fleet said the Blair-era Labour government did some "really good work" on teenage pregnancy. |
| She added: "But what was never, ever asked was, where did the father come from? What happened here? What type of relationship were you in?" | She added: "But what was never, ever asked was, where did the father come from? What happened here? What type of relationship were you in?" |
| Fleet has previously described her daughter as the "absolute love of her life" | Fleet has previously described her daughter as the "absolute love of her life" |
| Her experience made her question whether she was fit to run for office, telling friends "I can't be an MP - I was a teenage parent". | Her experience made her question whether she was fit to run for office, telling friends "I can't be an MP - I was a teenage parent". |
| But now that she's in Parliament, following her election win last year, she says she feels a responsibility to speak out, even if others might find the telling of her story shocking. | But now that she's in Parliament, following her election win last year, she says she feels a responsibility to speak out, even if others might find the telling of her story shocking. |
| She says that she feels "really lucky about the way I was raped", because she has indisputable proof about what happened to her. | She says that she feels "really lucky about the way I was raped", because she has indisputable proof about what happened to her. |
| "That is an awful thing for me to have to say, but it's very true," Fleet said. | "That is an awful thing for me to have to say, but it's very true," Fleet said. |
| "I have a birth certificate that proves my age. I have a birth certificate that proves her [daughter's] age. I have a DNA test that links the two." | "I have a birth certificate that proves my age. I have a birth certificate that proves her [daughter's] age. I have a DNA test that links the two." |
| Fleet points to crime survey data via the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which suggests one in four women have either been raped or sexually assaulted. | Fleet points to crime survey data via the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which suggests one in four women have either been raped or sexually assaulted. |
| "Ultimately, every one of us has either been raped or knows somebody who's been raped," she said. "Yet nobody's talking about it. | "Ultimately, every one of us has either been raped or knows somebody who's been raped," she said. "Yet nobody's talking about it. |
| "It's a part of our story as women. It's a part that we're not telling and I'm lucky that I can prove mine." | "It's a part of our story as women. It's a part that we're not telling and I'm lucky that I can prove mine." |
| Amendment to bill | Amendment to bill |
| Fleet is now trying to bring about a law change that would remove parental rights from rapists. | Fleet is now trying to bring about a law change that would remove parental rights from rapists. |
| With the support of ministers, Fleet is aiming to amend the Victims and Courts Bill, which is currently at committee stage. | With the support of ministers, Fleet is aiming to amend the Victims and Courts Bill, which is currently at committee stage. |
| A similar amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill - tabled last year under the previous Conservative government - would have meant that when child rapists are sentenced, their ability to make decisions about their children's lives would be suspended. | A similar amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill - tabled last year under the previous Conservative government - would have meant that when child rapists are sentenced, their ability to make decisions about their children's lives would be suspended. |
| Fleet said: "It means he can't have decisions over medical issues. He can't have full access to the child before prison and after prison. He can't interfere with that child's life from prison. | Fleet said: "It means he can't have decisions over medical issues. He can't have full access to the child before prison and after prison. He can't interfere with that child's life from prison. |
| "I think that children cannot be the only proceed of crime that criminals have lifelong access to." | "I think that children cannot be the only proceed of crime that criminals have lifelong access to." |
| The MP added the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer - a former director of public prosecutions - was not aware that such a law did not exist. | The MP added the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer - a former director of public prosecutions - was not aware that such a law did not exist. |
| "He said, 'yeah, I just, I didn't know that that was a thing. And we can get some wording into a bill, that means that we can stop that'," Fleet said. | "He said, 'yeah, I just, I didn't know that that was a thing. And we can get some wording into a bill, that means that we can stop that'," Fleet said. |
| She added her work had also received Royal backing, after mentioning her campaign to Queen Camilla at an event at Buckingham Palace. | She added her work had also received Royal backing, after mentioning her campaign to Queen Camilla at an event at Buckingham Palace. |
| Fleet said: "I was telling her about the law change and she said, 'oh, I'll help you'." | Fleet said: "I was telling her about the law change and she said, 'oh, I'll help you'." |
| It was an experience the former council estate girl describes as "surreal" and "incredible". | It was an experience the former council estate girl describes as "surreal" and "incredible". |
| But nothing tops another recent milestone, the birth of her first granddaughter. | But nothing tops another recent milestone, the birth of her first granddaughter. |
| The MP for Bolsover is now a grandmother | The MP for Bolsover is now a grandmother |
| She said: "Becoming a mum at 15, basically it felt at the time as bad as it gets, but being a Nana at 40, that's like winning all the jackpots put together." | She said: "Becoming a mum at 15, basically it felt at the time as bad as it gets, but being a Nana at 40, that's like winning all the jackpots put together." |
| She hopes that one day her new "favourite constituent" will tell her grandchildren how "he did it, and she hid it". | She hopes that one day her new "favourite constituent" will tell her grandchildren how "he did it, and she hid it". |
| "And I want that to be the part that they don't believe," Fleet said. "I want them to say Nana, why didn't women just speak out? | "And I want that to be the part that they don't believe," Fleet said. "I want them to say Nana, why didn't women just speak out? |
| "Nana, why were men so easily able to get away with it? | "Nana, why were men so easily able to get away with it? |
| "And it feels like a real privilege to be able to start that conversation." | "And it feels like a real privilege to be able to start that conversation." |
| If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, help is available via the BBC Action Line. | If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, help is available via the BBC Action Line. |
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