Latest News
TALK: Keynote at North West Dispute Resolution Conference 2024
28th November 2024
David Challen delivered the keynote address at Mills & Reeve’s North West Dispute Resolution Conference, an annual gathering of solicitors, barristers, mediators, and professionals in family law. Speaking to this year’s theme of domestic abuse, David shared his powerful personal story, focusing on the hidden realities of coercive control and its impact on family dynamics during separation and divorce.
Through his lived experience, David highlighted the critical need for legal professionals to recognise abuse and provide compassionate support to survivors. His thought-provoking talk challenged attendees to reimagine how family law can better protect those navigating the lasting effects of domestic abuse.
TALK: Buckinghamshire Domestic Abuse Conference 2024
25th November 2024
David addressed over 120 multi-agency professionals at Buckinghamshire Council’s White Ribbon Conference, focusing on the theme “Working in Partnership to Recognise and Tackle Coercive Control.”
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Engaging professionals from policing, social care, housing, health, probation, and the voluntary sector, David emphasised the collective responsibility to recognise coercive control and intervene effectively. His talk underscored the urgent need for collaboration to dismantle abuse and support survivors, and the need to recognise the criminal justice failures in tackling these harms.
TALK: White Ribbon Talk for Cardiff Council Staff and Partners
November 2024
David delivered a powerful session to Cardiff Council staff and partner organisations, focusing on coercive control and its devastating impact on families. Drawing on his personal story and using clips from the BBC Two documentary about his family, David highlighted how coercive control affects not just victims but also the children who witness it. He emphasised the importance of recognising abusive behavior and holding perpetrators accountable.
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David’s talk challenged attendees to consider their role in preventing abuse and supporting survivors, encouraging a proactive approach to breaking cycles of harm within families and communities, and safeguarding roles
TALK: 25th Anniversary of Victim Support Isle of Man
12th September 2024
David speaks at the two-day event celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Victim Support Isle of Man 2024. David shares two talks with a diverse audience, including the safeguarding sector, police and ministers.
David's talk engages on coercive control awareness and the barriers victims of crime face when seeking closure, notably through court transcripts as therapeutic means. Citing his own experience as well as those of other victim's, David stresses the needs to overhaul our approach to tackling domestic abuse and the need to provide a holistic response to victims who traverse through the criminal justice system.
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INTERVIEW: Coercive Control Awareness & The Lack of Training Social Workers
28th August 2024
David speaks to Shelagh Fogarty on LBC following the reports that more than a third of social workers are not trained on coercive control.
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David shares that coercive and controlling behaviour is the very bedrock of domestic abuse and a leading indicator towards an escalation of violence. From stalking, to economic abuse, post-separation abuse, sexual violence, to murder and domestic abuse-related suicide, coercive control is the insidious thread that binds these abusive acts together.
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INTERVIEW: Engaging Men In Tackling Men's Violence Against Women & Girls
11th July 2024
In the wake of the murders of Carol Hunt, Hannah Hunt and Louise Hunt, David speaks to Ben Kentish on LBC about the need to stop talking about the weapons men use to murder women, and start talking to each other as men about male violence against women and girls.
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Open Justice Campaign: David speaks to Byline Times about barriers to justice victims face.
19th April 2024
Speaking to Byline Times, David talks about the Open Justice campaign fighting to remove barriers to justice victims of crime face. David tells his own experience of trying to access court transcripts that offer a vital lifeline of transparency, understanding and a therapeutic means of recovery for victims who pass through the criminal justice system.
Joining the powerful voices of survivors like Juliana and Charlotte, who both speak out about their barrier to accessing court transcripts, the Open Justice campaign is a landmark campaign whose goal is removing the thousands of pounds of costs victims are expected to pay to access these transcripts.
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Guardian Op-Ed: 'Race of truth: F1 must provide transparency and a commitment to women’s inclusivity and safety.'
10th March 2024
David writes in The Guardian today about the importance for Formula One to provide transparency and commitment to women's inclusivity and safety in the sport amid allegations of coercive behaviour against Red Bull Racing CEO, Christian Horner by a female colleague.
Can global sports teams, like Red Bull, be trusted to be impartial when internally investigating serious allegations of abusive behaviour? Or is this a case of marking their own work?
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TALK: Victim Support NI Conference 2024 'What Price Justice? A Costs Conundrum'
17th February 2024
David speaks at the Victim Support Northern Ireland 2024 conference on 'What Price Justice? A Costs Conundrum: balancing the financial and human costs of seeking justice.' David's talk engages on the barriers victims of crime face when seeking court transcripts for therapeutic means of closure. Citing his own experience as well as those of other victim's the need to overhaul the experience victims face against a denial of public cost to transcription requests and the destruction of court recordings that place a time limit for victims coming forward seeking the closure they need.
The conference is attended by the Justice Minister for Northern Ireland, Director of Victim Support Europe and amongst many others, Jane Connors, Victims' Rights Advocate for the United Nations.
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INTERVIEW: Victims charged tens of thousands of pounds for court documents
21st January 2024
David speaks to The Independent about victims of crime being forced to pay thousands of pounds for court transcripts. Speaking to Maya Oppenheim, David cites his own experiences of the enormous financial barrier to requesting court transcripts that offer a therapeutic means of recovery and that many victims of sexual assault are even denied judgements, calling it a 'dark ages practice' that needs to be abolished.
‘It robs you, essentially, as a victim of crime, of your emotional capacity to come to terms with what you’ve experienced,’
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Home Secretary Secretary's comments on spiking and coercing women are unacceptable
25th December 2023
David is quoted in the Mirror about Home Secretary James Cleverly's joke about spiking his wife's drink and coercing women made to a female Conservative MP and calls for his resignation.
"No domestic abuse services, women’s orgs nor victims/domestic abuse commissioners should be expected to take James Cleverly seriously in his duty to lead on tackling VAWG now. These groups dedicate their entire lives to this work, meanwhile he makes jokes about it. Resign."
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TALK: Sutton Women's Centre 'Building a Safe Sutton for Women and Girls' Conference.
30th November2023
David speaks at the 'Building a Safer Sutton for Women and Girls Conference' for Sutton Women's Centre. David's talk centre on the question, why are so few men engaging on the issues of male violence against women? As well as the urgent need to address the global epidemic of male violence against women, citing alarming statistics and the surge in violence and what men can do.
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TALK: FREEDA 'Our future, free from abuse' White Ribbon Day Event
23rd November2023
David speaks at the White Ribbon Day event at FREEDA, formerly known as Jersey Women’s Refuge. As well as meeting persons from the legal profession across Jersey for a conversation around domestic abuse, David joins a panel discussion about how to engage men in tackling male violence against women alongside Kate Wright, chair of the VAWG taskforce; Suki Sandhu, a leading UK specialist in diversity; Matt Falla, managing director of Evelyn Partners, and founder of Man Club in Jersey.
Coverage of David's talk is reported in the Jersey Evening Post where he speaks about Jersey landmark Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce report, that tackles the safety provisions missing in legislation and law on the island.
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Guardian Op-Ed: 'It was right for Mason Greenwood to go, but football clubs shouldn’t be making such decisions alone'
22nd August 2023
David writes in The Guardian today about Mason Greenwood's exit from Manchester United and raises deep concerns over whether clubs can be trusted to act as judge and jury over serious allegations involving their talent. Is it time for the league to create an independent body to investigate player behaviour?
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TALK: Women's Aid Belfast & Lisburn 'Silent Voices' Conference
26th May 2023
David speaks at the annual conference for Belfast & Lisburn Women’s Aid held at Titanic Belfast, with the theme of ‘Silent Voices: What is not being said?’. His talk centers on the voices of child victims of domestic abuse and the need to better understand the impact of cumulative psychological violence on victims.
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19th March 2023
Why Mason Greenwood’s return to Manchester United would silence victims of sexual violence
The future of Mason Greenwood’s career at Manchester United has been hanging over the club since his arrest in January last year, as a lifelong supporter of United and survivor of domestic abuse, new reports that the club are now considering his return have left many fans including myself deeply concerned.
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13th February February 2023
INTERVIEW with Times Radio about obsession with true crime
David speaks to Times Radio about his latest Substack about our obsession with true crime amidst the disappearance of Nicola Bulley and the arrival of internet sleuths/influencers to the village she went missing.
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12th February February 2023
INTERVIEW with LBC about fatal domestic abuse reporting
Amidst the victim blaming reporting on the Mail Online of Emma Pattison who was murdered alongside her daughter, Letti, by George Pattison, David speaks to Ben Kentish on LBC why language in media reporting matters and why need for the press regulator, Ipso, to adopt fatal domestic abuse reporting guidelines is as urgent as ever.
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11th February February 2023
True crime: when voyeurism becomes harmful and exploitative
As internet sleuths and social media influencers descend onto the Lancashire village where Nicola Bulley went missing, causing family distress and police disruption, I investigate if the obsession with true crime finally gone too far?
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23rd January2023
Are police accounts using #NotAllPolice to silence women speaking out?
All eyes are on the Met as they fight to keep Britain's largest police force from the chopping block, but are online police accounts derailing the work ahead?
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Substack launch
Saturday, 10th December 2022
I'm happy to announce I am now on Substack. My work has lead me to publish my writings on multiple news outlets from The Guardian, Al Jazeera, The Times and The Telegraph and many more, but on Substack I want the freedom to explore stories in more depth and do some things different. Some articles will be short reflections, others deep dives, all intended to give a perspective to you that is not widely covered. Who knows, maybe an audio interview with people I greatly admire could be in the future. Everything and anything is possible, so subscribe and find out.
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Flying the burning nest
15th January 2023
As Prince Harry's memoir details life in the gilded cage, can the family image of monarchy past show itself to be anything but the abusive image it’s always been? I investigate in my new long-read how Harry's allegations of manipulation and control are deeply concerning or the future of the Royal Family.
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Monday, 1st March 2020
Post-separation abuse will become a criminal offence to protect victims
Today the government has announced the controlling or coercive behaviour offence will be extended to include abuse where perpetrators and victims no longer live together. This is a vital step forward recognising the full breadth of domestic abuse and that abuse does not stop when a victim leaves an abusive partner. This law will give more victims a voice and the vital protection they have long needed.
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Statement: Read More
Saturday, 13th March 2020
#NotAllMen fails to understand the role we play in holding abusive men to account
Amid the horrific and saddening news of the murder of Sarah Everard I write today in the Telegraph asking why are so few men engaging on the issue of violence against women?
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Tea with Changemakers Podcast: discussing how to engage more men on tackling male violence against women.
Tuesday, 19th July 2022
Having chosen not to do interviews about my experiences of domestic abuse for more than a year for personal reasons, I'm glad to be back engaging again and most importantly discussing how to engage more men on tackling male violence against women. Many thanks to Social Change UK.
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Lenient sentences for domestic abuse killings send a dangerous message
Tuesday, 23rd February 2020
When I read last week that pensioner Anthony Williams was sentenced to just five years in prison for the manslaughter of his wife Ruth I was left in disbelief. How could it be deemed acceptable that a man intent on harming his wife will be allowed to walk free after what will realistically amount to a couple of years?
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Today I've written in the Metro to share my thoughts on the dangerous message this sentencing sends victims of domestic abuse.
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Fatal Domestic Abuse Reporting
Wednesday, 8th, December 2020
Two in three families bereaved by fatal domestic abuse have had their grieving process damaged by the press. These are the findings of a landmark report published today surveying 15 families bereaved by fatal domestic abuse.
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This report, a collaboration between myself, Level Up, the feminist campaign group and AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse), a domestic homicide review charity, is pushing to help create better reporting standards.
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