TRAGIC FAMILY FIRE: FATHER DARREN SYKES KILLS KIDS DURING COURT-GRANTED VISIT

Darren Sykes, the father of Jack and Paul, was responsible for the tragic death of his two children when he deliberately set fire to the family home during a court-approved access visit in October 2014. He had been warned by social services and Cafcass about his dangerous and violent behaviour towards his family, including repeated domestic abuse and threats. Despite this, the family court system granted him access, and during one of these visits, Sykes lured the children into the attic of the house, promising them a train set, before causing the fatal blaze. The children, Jack, 12, and Paul, 9, as well as their father, died in the fire. Claire Throssell, their mother, has campaigned tirelessly for legal reform to better protect children from violent and abusive parents and has expressed her disappointment with the system's failure to prevent this tragedy. She states, 'In my court application I clearly stated he was capable of killing Jack and Paul. He had been repeatedly violent towards me and abusive to the boys.' Numerous appeals and petitions have been made for changes in family law to end the presumption of contact, which Claire believes contributed to the failure to protect her children. The tragic case highlights issues within the family court system regarding the rights of the child and the importance of safeguarding from abusive parents.