Dear Minister,
I am appalled and disgusted about the way my mother was treated in The Family Law Court.
I couldn't believe the way the Judge spoke to her and accused her of lying and trying to obstruct contact with the father of her daughter, my little sister.
My sister's father is very aggressive and sometimes violent. He has treated my mother in a disgusting manner for the last six years although they have never been in a de-facto relationship. They only knew each other briefly when my mother became pregnant and this nightmare began.
I truly believed that this Government would stand by my family and protect them against this evil man. He is verbally abusive, aggressive and demeaning to my mother, my little sister and myself.
I am a twenty year old male and can stand up for myself, unlike my four year old sister when she is on unsupervised contact, each alternate weekend. I fear greatly for her safety, but no one will listen to us. My mother has been treated unfairly by this court system and our right to protect our family has been taken away from us.
When are you going to take each case individually and listen to the worried and frightened mothers who only want the right to keep their children safe from harm.
This man now knows that he can do what he likes and will get away with it.
He is out for revenge on my mother and will stop at nothing to get even. He has mental health issues and shouldn't be able to have the care of my little sister who doesn't have a voice at all, in this mess.
My mother is a kind and gentle person who just loves and nurtures her children and wants to give them the best that life can offer. My mother is definitely not a liar, and she is not trying to prevent access. We would like supervised contact to remain in place.
She has a wonderful friendship with my own father, who is also a loving and kind person. They have remained my loving parents throughout my life.
Now that the new law gives the fathers more power and half responsibility and custody, you have only given him the go ahead to inflict more pain onto my family.
There needs to be more investigating into the wishes of the protective parent. I understand that there are woman that are also out for revenge, but not every case. Each and every individual case should be taken separately until the truth be known and proven.
The danger that my sister is in should be investigated and action taken to ensure her safety. Instead it was completely the opposite. I had to sit there knowing what I know and watch my mother being targeted and made to feel helpless in her fight for justice.
It was cruel and unfair not to mention unjust and wrong.
It is disgraceful and not acceptable that we have to endure this kind of unfair injustice.
I want your laws to change to give the hard working, good natured mothers more rights to protect their children.
We deserve a peaceful and safe life together without the fear of the vindictive fathers of this world.
Son of TD