Custody Crisis Stories of 2021
Tragedies & Triumphs
2021 was a year like most others in family courts around the world with many tragedies and injustices, but also a few triumphs and successes.
These stories help raise awareness about the epidemic of judges switching custody to abusive and self-serving fathers.
TRAGEDIES
COURT-ENABLED MURDERS OF CHILDREN
Mothers pled for protection in Family Court, but judges ignored them and enabled vengeful fathers to murder their children.
RIP Baby Kobi, Emily & Theodore, Olivia & Anna, Little Greyson, Madison & Zachary, Corey.
COURT-ENABLED MURDER OF MOTHERS
Star (left) was stabbed to death by her ex in front of their son. She had repeatedly told the Family Court judge she feared for her son’s and her lives.
Andrea (right) was shot four times in the middle of the night with her four children in the home. She survived but is still terrified for herself and her children.
RIP Star
COURT-CAUSED SUICIDES
These mothers could not take the pain of losing custody of their children to their abusive exes and not being able to protect them in Family Court.
RIP Nia and Michele
TRIUMPHS
Mother and daughter were reunited after 10 years of being deprived of each other by Family Court.
Two teens escaped their abusive father and posted a video describing how Family Court was not protecting them or allowing them to live with their mother.
Dylan’s father was tried and convicted of murdering him after Family Court did not protect him.
Ellie won partial custody even after fleeing internationally into hiding. She is still unable to protect him from his father in Family Court, so it is just a partial victory.
Britney was finally freed from her father’s and ex’s control after 13 years of subjugation and unjustly losing custody in Family Court.
A Family Court judge killed himself while the FBI was arresting him for serially sexually assaulting children.
The Allen v. Farrow documentary highlighted Family Court’s failure to protect children from sexual abuse. A clip from a Women’s Coalition protest in Southern California was used in the film.
COMMENT
Women’s Coalition News & Views will be doing a deeper dive into some of these stories for those who missed these posts on social media, so watch this space…
My son's father is taking me back to court in January 2022 to reduce me down to every other major holiday per year. My son is 14 now and afraid to speakup.
In July I filed a restraining order because my ex rushed at me attempting to hit me with a mop and a fishing net when I came to pickup our son for our usual visit. The mop grazed my shoulder and arm, the fishing net didn't touch me. My ex told the judge lies about the ordeal, his attorney was fierce and twisted facts. I was at my ex's house to get my son on the scheduled day and in the routine manner. The judge believed my ex and threw the restraining order out saying he felt I staged the event. A month after that my ex filed papers to reduce me to every other major holiday for my visits. I had no attorney because I couldn't afford one. My ex is the millionaire and loves playing these games in court. I get no support of any kind because my ex hides his money from the IRS.
Us mothers may inch ahead a bit here or there, but we get knocked down more. The narcissistic men enjoy the game. My son and I have been stuck in this narcissistic game since October 2009 when we finally fled the repeated abuse and went into a d.v. shelter. The Family Courts protect the men, not the children and not the mothers.
This has taken an enormous emotional and physical toll on my son and me. I developed Congestive Heart Failure, Atrial Fibrillation and Sleep Apnea 3 years ago due to stress - fortunately the heart medication keeps me alive. And, the day before I was recently served the recent court papers from my ex I was diagnosed with Lupus. I am hanging-on just to get my son to adulthood and into college. Our story is Reaching Safety at Daily Kos. https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2014/8/18/1322659/-Reaching-Safety and I wrote it at the request of The Women's Coalition/Cindy Dumas. My prayer is that we will one day reach safety.
Thank you thank you thank you for all the work that you do.