Victims and Abusers
If abuse issues are raised in the context of a Family Law contest, they are often discounted in favour of a meaningful relationship condemning young boys and girls to ongoing contact with a person who has, or who has facilitated, physical, emotional or sexual abuse towards them.
We ask:
How can it be that the Family Law Council can explicitly identify that children are not being protected in family law in a report in 2002 and still business is conducted as usual, handing children to their abusers?
What strategies can be employed to protect children from their own parents?
A person who has suffered abuse against themselves and the children from the other parent, but fails to substantiate those claims to the required level, faces a role reversal ~ ie from being a victim of violence to being labelled an 'emotional abuser' of the children due to their attempts to limit their contact with the other parent. Conversely, it seems that any person (especially fathers) who has their contact restricted or been refused residency due to substantiated risk issues immediately proclaim that they are victims of a "mother biased" court system.
In 2007 the AIFS reported that allegations of abuse generally do not significantly affect children's contact with their alleged abusers (when it is the mother making the allegations against the father). This finding shows major flaws in the "men's rights" groups arguments that women lie about abuse in the family court to get an advantage. The report also proves that allegations of violence or abuse won't make any difference to mothers and children getting court decisions which support their safety. It appears that while the laws and legalese speak about "rights to safety" everybody goes blind, deaf and dumb while the abuse continues unchecked.
When children have had violence and abuse, emotional or physical, perpetrated on them the long term impact is often detrimental as many studies show.
The impact on fathers of being unfairly separated from children is well touted. It remains to be seen what the impact the 2006 Family Court reforms, with its seemingly 'open door' policy to contact regardless of alleged risk will have on the young boys and girls who remain in unsafe situations. Reports to date are not re assuring.
The impact of perceived injustice, of being denied residency with a safe parent, or ongoing contact with an unsafe parent will no doubt be a major social issue in future years.
OTHER SUBJECT HEADINGS:
Familicide
Child Abuse
Child Sexual Assault
Domestic Violence
Male Suicide
False Allegations