Jemmy Ahern’s father killed her mother with 36 stab wounds, but after his release from prison, the girl had to go back to him.
She was just three years old when her father attacked her mum with scissors in 1992.
A court found him guilty of manslaughter and after he served half of his four-year sentence, he regained custody of Gemma. The girl was six years old at the time.
Gemma, now 36, is calling for the introduction of Jade’s Law, which should remove parental rights when one parent murders the other.
Activists say it should be done urgently to protect children who have lost loved ones, while the UK Ministry of Justice has said the law will come into force by the end of the year.
“In all this time, my interests and my wellbeing have never been more important than my father’s”, Gemma said.
Her mother Carol Quinton, who was 26 at the time, was stabbed 36 times, including 11 in the heart. She was attacked with scissors by her husband at the house they shared with their daughter.
Gemma says her mum was seeing someone else and the marriage was in dire straits. After killing his wife, Gemma says her father took her to the police station and turned himself in to law enforcement.
During his trial at Manchester Crown Court, he claimed he had no recollection of the fatal attack, which took place during their argument.
After being found guilty of manslaughter, the man was given a sentence of four years in prison. The judge said the actions were uncharacteristic of him and that he appeared to be a decent young man, reports the Bury Times.
Author photo, Family photo
While Gemma’s father served his sentence, the girl lived briefly with her maternal grandparents.
Her father then decided she should live with his parents and return to him when he got out of prison.
He had full custody of her, and raised her with her stepmother.
As a child, teenager and young adult, Gemma was, as she says, “on autopilot” and never questioned anything.
“My childhood was a suppression of everything,” she said.
“As I became more aware of what was going on, I developed serious mental health issues.”
“I was in a very bad state, this trauma left me stunned.”
The girl was diagnosed with complex PTSD and RDUH as a result of the trauma of the situation.
It wasn’t until her 30s that Gemma began to explore what had happened in detail.
Author photo, Gemma Ahern
What is Jade’s Law?
Jade’s Law is named after Jade Ward, who was attacked by her former partner Russell Marsh at their North Wales home in 2021 as their four children slept in adjoining rooms. Marsh inflicted stab wounds on Jade and strangled her.
In 2022, Marsh was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison for murder. Jade’s family was shocked when he started asking them for photos and school records of the children from prison.
They discovered he still had parental rights. Under current British law, murderers must be consulted about decisions concerning their children, such as health, education and travelling.
Together with other friends, Jade’s family started a campaign to strip Marsh of his parental rights and suspend the rights of all parents who kill their partners with whom they have children.
They succeeded, and in May 2024, Chapter 18 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 – Jade’s Law – became one of the last to be passed before the general election.
However, almost two years later, it has still not come into force.
At the time, the UK government said the law would protect children by preventing murderers from having an undue influence on their lives.
The rule would apply to anyone convicted of the unintentional or intentional non-aggravated murder of a person with whom they share parental responsibility. The exception is when domestic violence victims kill their abusers.
But Jade’s family was shocked to learn that the law remains invalid and has yet to be used to protect victims’ families.
“I thought no other family would have to go through what we had to go through,” said her mum Karen Robinson.
Author photo, Family photo
Gemma believes living with her father was “very damaging” to her and became, in her words, almost a “life sentence”.
She believes children should be placed with their mother’s family, if possible with significant support from children’s services and their school.
“When you know the truth, there’s less chance of growing up and having doubts. So a child who is well informed in a way that is age appropriate is more likely to grow up with fewer mental health issues,” she said.
Gemma said her mother’s death and her circumstances were never talked about at home.
“It’s like you look for the best in people and you’re biologically connected to your parents,” she said.
Gemma worked in her father’s business until she left it when she was 31.
She met her partner and moved to North Wales. As time went on, she began to question many of the things she was told.
“Being far away made me feel safer,” she said. It took her a year and a half to find out what had happened. After that, she cut ties with her father and his family.
Author photo, Gemma Ahern
The UK Ministry of Justice said it was introducing Jade’s Law “as quickly and safely as possible” and it would come into force by the end of 2026.
“Our deepest condolences to the families of these victims,” the statement said.
Chief executive of charity Children Heard and Seen Sarah Burrows said: “Some children go through terrible things – losing a parent to domestic homicide and the other going to prison.
“Children and those who care for them become forgotten victims after incidents of domestic abuse.”
“Jade’s Law must be introduced urgently so that perpetrators of domestic violence automatically lose their parental rights upon conviction.”