Cherie Blair has opened up about how she was pushed down the stairs by a domestic abuser while representing his vulnerable victim.
The leading barrister said her attacker was out of control and clearly felt entirely justified in his attack on her, which took place when she was a young lawyer. In a deeply personal interview with The Independent, the wife of former prime minister Sir Tony Blair also described her guilt after a client was killed by her abusive partner because she returned home as she had nowhere else to go.
Recalling the attack on her, Ms Blair said: “As a young barrister when I was in court and we got the [restraining] order against the perpetrator, as I came out of court, he followed me and he pulled me down the stairs in the court. I had to be rescued by the court staff because he was so out of control. He believed he was entitled to behave in that way, he was perfectly prepared to attack me.” She added: “I’ve been in court when we’ve also seen judges being attacked.”
Ms Blair spoke out as she backed The Independent’s and Refuge charity Brick by Brick campaign which aims to raise £300,000 to build a safe house for domestic abuse survivors, and highlighted the desperate need for more refuges to be built. “I can always remember one client of mine who got relief from the court,” she said. “But afterwards, as I’m afraid happens, with nowhere else to go, she returned to the matrimonial home – she was killed by her partner.”
Denne historien er fra September 21, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 21, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Springboks reveal insights into secrets of their success
Rugby is a game of grey areas. From foul play to scrum-time skirmish, one's opinion on a particular incident can vary greatly depending on the lens through which it is viewed.
Hall could solve England's specialist left-back problem
In their last 13 matches, England have only once started with a specialist left-back. Now a specialist left-back has emerged who debuted under Thomas Tuchel and who, even before the German takes charge, can benefit from the coaching of England's most-capped full-back.
Coote's sweary Klopp rant loads pressure on referees
When the video of referee David Coote ranting about Jurgen Klopp first came to light, some of the most influential figures at Premier League clubs were excitedly sending it around on WhatsApp.
Labour looks set to smash straight into a jobs problem
Is Labour hurtling towards a jobs problem? The latest official data release does not make for happy reading for our accidentprone government.
Watchdog fines Metro Bank £16m for failing customers
A major bank has been fined millions for errors that left customers at risk. Metro Bank has been fined 16.6m by regulators for failings over money laundering controls from 2016 to 2020.
Inconvenient truth about this year's Booker winner
Samantha Harvey's ‘Orbital', a meditation on the Earth and humanity, has scooped this year's prize. But Martin Chilton is sceptical it will make readers wake up to climate change
'Male actors do get paid, more than us - that's a fact'
Sarah Greene has reunited with her 'Bad Sisters' for a second series. She tells Ellie Harrison about misogyny, donning an eyepatch, and looks back on the success of 'Normal People'
KATHMANDU CHAOS
The Nepalese capital's shambolic main airport is a perfect case study in how to deter visitors, writes Simon Calder
Fox on the box: 25 years of Lineker's Match of the Day
Gary Lineker is leaving 'MOTD' at the end of this season, after a glittering tenure as the host of the BBC's flagship football show. Nick Hilton looks back on his highs and lows
Dumping Lineker is a move the BBC will live to regret
Watching the flagship BBC News at 10 programme on Monday night, you might have been forgiven for thinking all was well in the world - that Gaza was no longer a killing field, that Ukraine was safe from Putin, that the planet had started to cool down.