On 15 September, Constance Marten was sentenced to 14 years in prison by judge Lucraft at the Old Bailey. Constance Marten: vindictive sentencesWe are outraged by the harsh vindictive sentences the judge chose and by how much he based his sentencing on what had happened in family court which he repeatedly prevented Constance Marten from speaking about. Predictably, after her first two children were taken, Marten’s third and fourth children were taken at birth. Neither the jury nor the judge recognised the enormous trauma Constance Marten has been through. The trials of Constance Marten have highlighted the desperation she and many mothers feel and our determination to protect our children.