Breaking the Silence: Children's Stories
Tatge-Lasseur Productions

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Learn how misguided judges take children away from the protective parent and put them in the care of the person the children have named as their abuser. See how abusive fathers use their children to control and punish the mothers, and how judges unwittingly help these abusive men use the court to perpetuate the abuse. Learn the truth about a discredited theory called Parental Alienation Syndrome, that judges, custody evaluators and law guardians invoke to deny that abuse is occurring, and learn about state laws that force judges to make decisions that put abused women and children at risk.

Fighting the "Hidden American Disgrace"
of Court Abused Children

     We, the Courageous Kids Network, are a growing group of young people, whose childhood was shattered by biased and inhumane court rulings, which forced us to live with our abusive parent, while restricting or sometimes completely eliminating contact with our loving and protective parent.

Some of us, whose mothers tried to protect us from abuse, did not see our mothers for years, or were only allowed to see our mothers under oppressive supervised visitation orders. We were not allowed to hug our mothers, or talk about how we felt. Some of us were separated from siblings, grandparents and extended family. We lost our home, pets, toys, friends, & our childhood. We lived in fear, depression, hopelessness and helplessness for years. Some of us ran away from our abusers. Some could not handle the trauma and committed suicide.

We who survived, got older and stronger. Now we are telling the world how much we were hurt, first by our abusers and then by the court that refused to protect us.

www.CourageousKids.net

[excerpt] LETTING DOWN THEIR GUARD: WHAT GUARDIANS AD LITEM SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN CHILD CUSTODY DISPUTES

In my first meeting with the guardian ad litem, I had told him that there was a significant history of domestic violence, [that] my ex-partner had been to [a batterer _ s intervention program] and that I was disabled as a result of the abuse, and he told me. _ No one cares about that abuse crap. _ 

Introduction

Lorie suffered years of severe violence at the hands of her husband, Noah.1 He pulled out her hair, slapped her, tore her clothing, and threatened her life.2 He hit her in the face with his head so hard that he [*PG284]broke her tooth.3 Lorie and Noah _ s children lived with the ongoing abuse and often witnessed the violence.4 During one incident, Lorie was holding their baby in her arms when Noah picked up a butcher knife.5 _ Put the kid down, _ he said, _ I _ m going to kill you now. _ 6

When litigation began over custody of their children, Lorie was prepared with evidence of the abuse, including dental records documenting her broken tooth and written statements of observers who witnessed the abuse and her injuries.7 The guardian ad litem appointed to her case, however, refused to look at any of the documentation she offered.8 Furthermore, during the investigation he said to Lorie, _ I know you lied to me [about the abuse]. You better tell the truth now, because I _ m getting phone calls from people and they can tell me the truth. _ 9

Ignoring the trauma of the abuse Lorie suffered, the guardian ad litem _ s report to the judge described Lorie as _ irrationally angry _ and _ overly emotional, _ citing her tendency to burst into tears.10 The guardian ad litem also discredited Lorie _ s reports of domestic violence to the court, despite his own acknowledgement that he found Noah to be controlling, domineering, and dishonest.11 The court ultimately granted Noah full custody of the children.12 The judge never saw Lorie _ s extensive documentation, and thus could not consider the impact of Noah _ s abusive behavior on the children.13  Complete Journal >>> http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/lawreviews/meta-elements/journals/bctwj/24_2/02_FMS.htm

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL What's New

Radio Interview: Oct 09, 2006 - - Retired Judge Sol Gothard and nationally renowned attorney Richard Ducote talk with Lisa about custody law and policy  involving protective parents, child abuse, the    Leadership Council, and more.

Gothard-Ducote.wma (PATIENCE: THIS NONSTREAMING FILE MAY TAKE A LONG TIME TO LOAD

Scholarly Articles and Reviews

Articles Addressing Domestic Violence and Abuse Allegations in Custody and Visitation Disputes

Scientific Studies Examining the Veracity of Sex Abuse Allegations in Child Custody Disputes - Are they more likely to be false?

Are Protective Parents Losing Custody to Alleged Abusers? Evidence shows that women who raise concerns about family violence during custody litigation run the risk of losing their children

Research Indicating that the Majority of "High Conflict" Contested Custody Cases Involve a History of Domestic Violence.

Using a Child Custody Dispute to Discredit Sex Abuse Allegations. Several sex offenders in treatment describe how they used a child custody dispute to prevent or discredit abuse allegations.

Custody Myths - Too often custody decisions are based on myth, misinterpretation of facts, and evaluator bias. This article provides an overview of some of the erroneous beliefs that contribute to the problem of children not being protected from abuse in family court.

Common Misconceptions in Addressing Domestic Violence in Child Custody Disputes - outlines seven misconceptions with respect to domestic violence and child custody that represent barriers to safety and accountability of women and children exposed to domestic violence.