Glasgow mum battling for law change after baby loss agony

Jemma Marshall endured the unimaginable pain of losing her beautiful daughter Layla Rose at 19 weeks after suffering a placenta abruption following a brutal attack.

The courageous 25-year-old has bravely waived her right to anonymity to share her trauma with the Glasgow Times in a bid to help others facing a similar plight – and to make lawmakers aware of the need for reform.

Jemma says she felt ‘robbed of justice’ after her attacker, who we are unable to name for legal reasons, was jailed for just nine months. She now wants tougher legal guidelines which will demand the imposition of longer prison sentences when violence leads to a later term miscarriage.

Jemma Marshall (Image: Colin Mearns)

She said: “I’ve been left with the life sentence through the loss of my baby, all while my attacker got off lightly.

“He has never shown an ounce of remorse for what he did while I had to give birth to my daughter knowing that she was already gone. I’ll never get over the pain he put me through, will never forget how he attacked me knowing I was pregnant as I begged him to stop. I will never erase the memory of how he just kept raining punches and kicks on me.”

Jemma described the night her assailant carried out the attack and how its aftermath has changed her life.

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She explained “He arrived at my home with two knives, and I genuinely feared for my life. I was pregnant at the time and I lost my daughter shortly after.

“I grieve for her every single day. I was so excited to be having another child and had so many hopes and dreams for her future, but it was all taken away in an instant. I can never forgive what he’s done. My beautiful baby girl should be here growing up with her siblings instead of being in a tiny pink coffin.”

Jemma with her dog Coco (Image: Colin Mearns)

The thug was locked up after pleading guilty to assault and being in possession of two knives when the case called at Glasgow Sheriff Court late last year.

Jemma has now set up a petition which she hopes to take to Holyrood, calling for stricter penalties for domestic abuse which leads to the miscarriage of a child.  Over 3000 people have already backed her campaign, which she hopes can reshape the law.

She said: “The people who govern our courts must recognise that domestic abuse can result in tragic consequences beyond physical harm to the mother – it can also cause late term miscarriages. These cases should be treated much more seriously, not simply as another instance of domestic violence.

“I’m calling on lawmakers to acknowledge this dreadful anomaly in our legal system and enforce stricter penalties on those whose violent actions result in the death of an unborn child. By doing so, we can ensure that stories like Layla's lead to tangible change, and provide justice for victims of such heartbreaking circumstances.”

Jemma, from Glasgow, explained how she has been forced to temporarily relocate her whole life to keep herself and her family save.

She added: “I feel my daughter was let down by the system and I’ll never have any sort of real justice for her. I don’t want another mum to suffer that same pain, it is time for change.

“Since the attack I have had to flee my home because of the fear that he will come back looking for me when he’s released. I have nightmares about what happened and there will never be any closure for me; I live with this day in and day out.

“The trauma of what I went through will never go away and I feel broken by what happened, but if I can use that agony to change the law, at least some sort of positive will have come from all of this.”

The devastated mum told how she was able to spend three precious days with Layla, thanks to the kindness of hospital staff who provided a cold cot and memory box.

Jemma’s home is filled with photographs and special mementoes of the tiny daughter who never got a chance at life. She says the heartbreaking memory of Layla’s funeral will haunt her forever.

She adds: “Knowing she won’t get to grow up with her brothers and sister is what gets me the most. She was robbed of her future, but she will never be forgotten. She will always live in our hearts. I want people to know Layla’s name and how much she meant to me.

“I’m determined to keep fighting for change in her name and I’m so grateful that I got to spend three days in hospital with her. Just to hold her and cuddle her meant the world to me. I think giving birth to a baby that you know has taken their last breath in your womb is one of the hardest things a woman can ever experience.

“When she was born, she looked so perfect, like she was just sleeping. I’ll never forget how angelic she looked and I’ll keep on fighting, not just for Layla, but for every other baby who lost their life because some brute thought he had a right to lift his hands. It’s time for change.”

Support the petition here