Court Sanctioned Child Abuse: Taking a Look at the Ugly Truth [VIDEOS] Included

Not only do I have personal connections to others who have suffered this kind of tragedy, but I have become increasingly aware of these issues since the Autism Women’s Network Forum went online in January.

The number of AWN forum members who have had personal experiences with Court Sanctioned Child Abuse is extremely telling, and a topic which I am completely dedicated to bringing to light.

If you aren’t familiar with Court Sanctioned Child Abuse, then I highly recommend you look into this unbelievable injustice, and lend your voice to this travesty which is taking place in courtrooms everyday.

In case after case, the parent who brings the allegation [of abuse] to light is accused of making it up, or the child not believed, and in spite of compelling evidence along with numerous disclosures to multiple professionals, the children are forced against their will to live with the abusers. These children suffer the deep demoralization of knowing that there is no one to protect them.  [Dr. Joyanna Silberg]

Another common but mistaken belief is that a court would of course not grant custody to an abuser, especially a physical batterer. But the sad reality is that many judges say, “You aren’t together anymore, so his aggression toward you is no longer an issue. Does he beat the children? If not, there is no reason to curtail his relationship with them.” This is true despite the fact that almost every state has laws that say that domestic violence is relevant to custody and visitation disputes.

Even in cases where the father has been physically abusive to the children, the mother may not have proof, or the judge may say, “Well, that only happened a few times, and he knows not to do that anymore.” Other judges conclude that the parents mutually abused each other, because the abusive man claims to be the victim. [Lundy Bancroft:Child Custody Justice] 

EXAMPLE: Recently I reviewed a case wherein the court convicted a mother of civil contempt for not fostering a relationship between her children and their abusive father.  The teenagers refused to visit their father on numerous occasions throughout several years following incidences of abuse.  The mother’s conviction was in spite of more than 5 years of evidence whereby the children reported to doctors of psychology and school counselors their ongoing fears of their father, his violent outbursts of anger, and his drug use.    Documented evidence revealed extreme physical violence, and/or the children witnessing  these acts of violence perpetrated by their own father.

The court surmised that the mother had psychological and emotional problems for not forcing her children to visit their father when they refused.  However, no testimony or psychological assessment was presented during the trial by a mental health professional which stated the mother was diagnosed with any form of major psychological, emotional, or personality disorder, or incapable of parenting her children.  The mother’s only diagnosis is PTSD and Asperger’s.

The doctor of psychology for the defense offered testimony which clearly indicated that after 5 years of knowing the family, and working closely with the mother and her children, she knew the mother to be an excellent parent who had always put the welfare, interests, and concern of her children first.  The judge in this case clearly rendered his personal opinion about the mother’s mental status [not based on documented fact] but rather the ex-husband’s testimony whereby he stated his ex-wife is mentally ill.

The judge’s summary did not acknowledge 99% of the hard evidence presented in court against the father as testified by the children’s doctor of psychology for more than 5 years. Instead, the District Court Judge described the father’s abuse toward his children as, “errors in judgment” and “to say the least inappropriate.”

How Family Courts Handle Domestic Abuse Allegations.

The most vulnerable and innocent pay the highest price. I was touched to find an organization which was founded by adult children who lived through Court Sanctioned Child Abuse and have decided to speak out against the system that failed to protect them. Take a moment to read their stories at: Courageous Kids Network – Fighting the “Hidden American Disgrace” of Court Abused Children.

[Resources]

_{Lundy Bancroft}

_{Protective Mother’s Alliance [on BlogTalk Radio]}

_{Susan Murphy Milano}

_{Anny Jacoby}

^{[Original post: Spectrumy]}

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