Somerset woman calls for divorce law change after paying abusive husband £75,000
A Somerset woman is calling for divorce law to recognise coercive behaviour after she was ordered to pay her abusive ex-husband £75,000.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A woman from Somerset is urging a change in divorce law after she was forced to pay her abusive ex-husband £75,000 in a financial settlement. Annabel Boucher, who lives in South Somerset, says the family courts failed to take into account the coercive and controlling behaviour she suffered during her marriage.
Ms Boucher met David Rogers in 2017 and described the relationship as a whirlwind. But after they married, she says his behaviour turned extreme. She told the BBC that he was manipulative and controlling, leaving her feeling scared, isolated and hopeless. "You become enclosed in this world that you just think there's no way out of, so you kind of shut down emotionally because that's survival," she said.
In January 2024, Ms Boucher went to the police. David Rogers, 61, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to coercive and controlling behaviour at Taunton Crown Court. He received a suspended prison sentence.
By that time, the couple had already divorced. When it came to dividing their finances, Ms Boucher assumed that the short length of the marriage and her ex-husband's behaviour would be taken into account. She had kept her own family home and paid all her bills separately. But the court ordered her to pay Rogers £75,000.
Legal experts say this is not unusual. The law includes a checklist for financial settlements, and conduct is on that list. But there is no legal definition of conduct, and in practice it must be "really bad" and have affected the couple's finances. That is a high bar that is rarely met.
The Ministry of Justice said it recognises the devastating impact of domestic abuse, including economic abuse and coercive control. It added that it has been seeking views in a consultation to reform the law so family courts better meet the needs of domestic abuse victims.
Ms Boucher is now in a better place but is still paying off loans she took out to settle the divorce. She says she has no regrets about leaving, adding: "I would prefer to be living in a garden shed than having to go through what I was on a daily basis." She hopes her case will highlight the need for change, warning others that, as the law stands, a partner's abusive behaviour is unlikely to affect a divorce settlement.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| Annabel Boucher paid her ex-husband £75,000 in a divorce settlement. | |
| David Rogers pleaded guilty to coercive and controlling behaviour and received a suspended prison sentence. | |
| The Ministry of Justice is consulting on reforming family courts to address domestic abuse victims' needs. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report centres on Annabel Boucher's personal ordeal and the legal gap that allowed her abusive ex-husband to receive £75,000. It includes her emotional testimony, the legal expert's explanation of why conduct is rarely considered, and the Ministry of Justice's response, framing the story as a call for reform.
- “You become enclosed in this world that you just think there's no way out of, so you kind of shut down emotionally because that's survival.”
- “I would prefer to be living in a garden shed than having to go through what I was on a daily basis.”
- “But for anyone that is going through this, if you are hanging on to that thought that the behaviour of your other partner will come in to the divorce proceedings, unfortunately, as the law stands, it won't at the moment.”
Broadcast Timeline
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