At the heart of The Stealing of Emily is a story of loss, injustice, and a parent’s unrelenting fight for their child. When Emily is taken under a court ruling fraught with questionable practices and secrecy, her family is thrust into a battle against bureaucracy and silence. The book captures the emotional toll of this journey while shedding light on systemic flaws that allow such injustices to occur. Readers will feel the heartbreak, resilience, and determination of a parent confronting a system stacked against them.
A key focus of The Stealing of Emily is the controversial use of Closed Material Procedures (CMP)—often referred to as “secret courts.” The book explores how these procedures deny individuals the ability to fully defend themselves or challenge decisions made about their families. With stark examples and compelling evidence, the author raises critical questions about transparency, accountability, and the balance between privacy and justice.
Beyond its harrowing personal account, The Stealing of Emily serves as a call to action. It challenges readers to question the fairness of judicial systems and to advocate for reforms that prioritize the rights and well-being of children and families. By highlighting real-world consequences of legal secrecy, the book inspires a movement for greater transparency, fairness, and compassion within courts that hold the power to shape lives.
Matt Dunkley CBE is a prominent figure in children’s services, with an extensive career in education and social care leadership. He has served as Director of Children’s Services (DCS) across multiple local authorities in England, playing a key role in shaping policies and improving outcomes for children and families. His work has often focused on safeguarding, education reform, and tackling systemic challenges within child welfare services.
Dunkley has held leadership roles both nationally and internationally, including positions as a commissioner for children’s services in struggling local authorities and as an advisor on education policy abroad. His experience has earned him a reputation for driving significant improvements in areas such as child protection, special educational needs (SEN), and the delivery of integrated family support services.
As a Director of Children’s Services, his responsibilities include overseeing child safeguarding, fostering, adoption, and care systems, ensuring that local councils meet their legal obligations to protect children. In this role, Dunkley has been involved in managing complex cases involving vulnerable children, addressing issues of service failures, and leading transformation programs to restore public trust and enhance service delivery.
In recent years, Dunkley has been recognized for his strategic leadership in regions facing severe challenges, particularly where systemic failings have led to external scrutiny or intervention. His approach often emphasizes multi-agency collaboration, transparency, and measurable improvement in outcomes for children.
If you are looking to reference Matt Dunkley in connection to a specific issue—such as concerns about safeguarding, transparency in closed hearings, or policy failures—let me know, and I can tailor the response further.
Matt Dunkley was an educational leader in Victoria, Australia, who served as the Secretary of the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development during the 2000s. He became a prominent figure due to significant reforms aimed at improving educational outcomes in the state. However, Dunkley’s tenure was marred by his involvement in the controversial Ultranet project, a failed online learning platform that was intended to connect students, teachers, and parents across Victoria.
The Ultranet project, launched in 2006, was initially budgeted at $60 million but ultimately ballooned to an estimated $180-$240 million before being scrapped in 2014. Despite its ambitious vision, the platform was criticized for being non-functional, poorly implemented, and unable to meet its intended goals. Reports revealed that corruption played a significant role in its failure, including allegations of improper tender processes, conflicts of interest, and misuse of public funds. An IBAC (Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission) investigation, known as Operation Dunham, led to charges against key figures linked to the project. Three senior officials, including a deputy secretary and corporate partners, faced allegations of misconduct and obtaining property through deception.
Although Dunkley himself was not criminally charged, his leadership during this period drew scrutiny suspension, particularly regarding oversight and governance failures. This project remains a cautionary tale in public-sector management and digital infrastructure planning, highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability in educational reforms.
For more information on IBAC’s findings and the Ultranet project:
thestealingofemily.co.uk 
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