At DV LEAP, we represent women who have first been abused by their partners and then denied justice by the courts. Increasingly, we see more clients who are trying to protect their children from abusive fathers—and the family courts, the court-appointed guardians, psychologists, and others in the system don’t want to talk about it. The abuse these children are telling their mothers about and their mothers are trying to tell the courts about is horrifying – and in part for that reason the very individuals who should protect these children too often instead blame the mothers for “alienating” the children from their fathers.
Because no one wants to talk about it, many abusive fathers are awarded custody and visitation, putting the children at great risk. In fact, over 75 children have been killed by their fathers in the last year after family courts refused to listen to their mothers’ pleas not to give the fathers unsupervised access.
To address this issue, DV LEAP is starting a new initiative: Taking A Leap for Kids or TALK,which form a consortium of nonprofits working on behalf of protective parents. Together we will craft a 3-5 year multi-level plan for comprehensive reform of the family courts which will include litigation, law reform, professional training, public education and media, and grassroots organizing.