“Family Court Files: parental alienation ‘used to silence claims of abuse’,” by Hannah Summers.
For The Bureau of Investigative Journalism , an illustration used online and on social for an investigation looking to reveal how the secretive family court process in the UK is failing to protect children at risk of abuse.
Allegations of domestic or child abuse are often met with counter allegations of “parental alienation” as a litigation tool (an abusive partner may claim that they are being unfairly alienated from their kid, which works out well in a popular “pro-contact” culture that supports kids having relationships with both parents for the kid’s “best interest” regardless of whether those parent-kid relationships are healthy ones).
This first story is part of an investigative series aiming to lift the lid on opaque injustices within a family court system making profound decisions and impact on peoples’ lives.
Thank you for having me on board for this project, Emily Goddard , and for trusting me with these heavy themes.
For The Bureau of Investigative Journalism , an illustration used online and on social for an investigation looking to reveal how the secretive family court process in the UK is failing to protect children at risk of abuse.
Allegations of domestic or child abuse are often met with counter allegations of “parental alienation” as a litigation tool (an abusive partner may claim that they are being unfairly alienated from their kid, which works out well in a popular “pro-contact” culture that supports kids having relationships with both parents for the kid’s “best interest” regardless of whether those parent-kid relationships are healthy ones).
This first story is part of an investigative series aiming to lift the lid on opaque injustices within a family court system making profound decisions and impact on peoples’ lives.
Thank you for having me on board for this project, Emily Goddard , and for trusting me with these heavy themes.
