Death of Kinver woman at forefront of push to ban sex game defence
Former Labour frontbencher Harriet Harman has highlighted the death of a West Midlands woman in the House of Commons in calling for a ban on the court defence of 'sex game gone wrong'.
Ms Harman, who served as deputy leader under Gordon Brown, delivered a powerful speech on the case of Natalie Connolly, who died at her home in Kinver, during a debate in Parliament on the Domestic Abuse Bill.
Supporters are calling for a change in the law to stop men accused of killing their partners using the "rough sex" defence in court.
The case of Ms Connolly attracted national attention and has been used by campaigners and prominent figures such as Ms Harman as a catalyst for change.
The 26-year-old was left to die in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs by her millionaire partner John Broadhurst during a drink-and-drugs-fuelled sex session at their home on Kenrose Mill in December 2016 in which she was subjected to violent abuse.
Broadhurst was convicted of manslaughter and jailed for three years, eight months - but cleared of murder.
The Bill, which gained momentum under Theresa May, has finally returned to Parliament after being delayed by the general election and coronavirus crisis.
It is hoped a range of new measures will be passed to help protect domestic abuse victims, including requiring councils to provide safe accommodation and stop abusers cross-examining victims in family courts.
But Ms Harman and Ms Connolly's MP, Mark Garnier, have tabled an amendment to outlaw what has been dubbed the "fifty shades defence".
The senior Labour figure told the Commons: "We need the Bill to tackle the problem of the defence being used by men who kill women and then say, 'it’s a sex game gone wrong'.
"That is a double injustice. Not only does he kill, but he drags her name through the mud. It causes indescribable trauma for the bereaved family, who sit silently in court with the loss of a beloved daughter, sister and mother, to see the man who killed her describe luridly what he alleges are her sexual proclivities. She, of course, is not there to speak for herself. He kills her and then he defines her.
"That is what happened to Natalie Connolly. Her brutal killer, John Broadhurst, escaped a murder charge by saying that it was what she wanted. We can stop that injustice. We can prohibit the rough sex gone wrong defence.
"We must do that by saying that if it is his hands on her neck strangling her, if it his hands that are pushing the object up inside her, then he must take responsibility. That is not a sex game gone wrong; that is murder and he cannot blame her for her own death."
Mr Garnier told the Commons: "John Broadhurst traduced Natalie’s reputation after she died. He conducted post-mortem abuse, having abused her for the previous seven months. It is appalling that this happened.
"A rape victim is offered anonymity during the course of a trial. The fact that Natalie was dead should not have meant that she received that post-mortem abuse."
