Birthday pact reverses deprogramming therapy order for three boys

April 27, 2009 at 8:54 PM EDT - Excerpts from the article:

"When an 18-year-old man arrived for a birthday dinner at his mother's house a few days ago, he never dreamed it would end one of the most bitter disputes in Canadian family court history."

"That birthday pact led directly to a firm agreement, signed over the weekend at an emotional meeting attended by lawyers and family members. Under its terms, the family's three sons cannot be separated or forcibly sent to a parental alienation centre for treatment."

"The family burst into headlines last fall, when a judge ordered that the two youngest boys be sent to a US treatment facility to be deprogrammed. A judge gave the youth legal standing in the case after he said he wanted to raise his brothers apart from either parent.

Yesterday, in a revealing conversation, P.F. criticized therapists and child welfare authorities in the case for clutching to pet theories about parental alienation syndrome. Under the controversial PAS diagnosis, children who are seen to have been systematically poisoned toward one parent by the other cannot evaluate their emotions accurately.

“I think they have done a lot more harm than good for our family,” P.F. said. “I think they were tilting the whole case in a direction that was more favourable to them, which was a more costly and stressful and damaging alternative for us. We don't need all these people getting into our lives and directing the way things go.”He also criticized the justice system for too easily sidelining children who are caught up in their parents' warfare.

“Where people are making decisions, the kids should at least be heard and their opinions thoroughly considered; not interpreted or cast aside, as they were here,” he said. “When it is possible to simply walk up and say, ‘This kid is parentally alienated,' that instantly takes away all their credibility. Our family made their minds up for themselves. In a way, we emancipated ourselves from these professionals that have been breathing down our necks the whole time.”

Trial opens for Delaware County, PA Psych accused of child molestation

Was Jerry Lazaroff, a psychologist for Delaware county's juvenile court system helping young children cope with their parents' divorce and overcome their fears? Or was he exploiting the one-on-one time to fondle his patients under the guise of "play therapy?"

Trial opened Wed, Apr. 29, 2009

Australian Safer Family Law Campaign Rally- May 3, 2009

FAMILY COURT MAYDAY! RALLY & PETITION 10.30 FOR 11 a.m. Sunday 3rd MAY 2009

Description: In memory of all the children who have died at the hands of their parents following Family Court involvement....RIP

And the children who continue to be forced into contact with violent or sexually abusive parents by the Family Law Act which is failing to protect children.

See rally details in your city below:

Contact Info
Email: biggs.barbara@gmail.com


OUR GOALS
Safer Family Law Campaign (SFLC) is a national campaign dedicated to giving Australian children and parents the fundamental human right; to be safe.

We are a group of concerned Australian self-help groups, parents, legal experts, academics, domestic violence workers, men's anti-violence groups, health professionals, journalists, authors, counselors and members of the public from all over this country who are seeing consistent failures in the Family Law system to protect children.

CSFLS seeks changes to the Family Law Act and FCA practice where:

(1) primary focus on safe outcomes for children takes precedence over ‘time spent’ principles, especially in cases where Domestic Violence (DV) and/or child abuse is raised; and such matters being raised must be investigated;

(2) recognition that violence to a parent is also abusive to the child of that parent;

(3) a new, discrete unit is formed within FCA to carefully manage investigation of cases where these matters are raised;

(4) all professionals responding to family separation in FCA, including mental health professionals, judges and legal experts in the field advising/representing clients, must receive continuing accredited training in DV and child abuse;

(5) family (including children) or contributing professionals' concerns suggesting DV and child abuse require that all evidence held by any governmental, police, law, medical and/or other agencies pertaining to the parties' and children's well-being must be sought out and included for review by this new FCA special unit; and

(6) that these records be connected on central police and court systems at local, state and federal levels, and;

(7) if, on the balance of probabilities, DV/abuse patterns are found to exist, or to be likely to exist, then any contact orders/agreements must detail how children’s safety is to be supported; and if such DV/abuse patterns are considered on expert opinion to be likely to strongly endanger children’s physical security or psychological health, then even occasional contact with the offending parent or parents may be disallowed as safe, and;

(8) in such cases the primary focus on safe outcomes for children must include plans for recovery from such trauma in parenting agreements or orders, and merely the passage of time should not be taken to suggest such DV/abuse patterns will be reduced or stop causing harm to the child, and;

(9) checks and balances are put in place to review FCA orders remain safe over time; and

(10) That 'blanket secrecy' laws be altered to allow more free speech and media and academic review regarding the Family Law Act, FCA, DHS and DOCS culture.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN THE SUNDAY MAY 3 EVENTS

NSW

Venue: Cook & Phillip Park, Yurong St East Sydney (near Aquatic Centre)
Time: 10.30am for 11a.m. Sunday May 3

Liz Mullinar - founder Mayumarri healing centre will MC the event
Prof Lesley Laing Sydney University - speaker
Speaker - A mother who has lost children in a murder suicide will speak out for the first time about how a court 'expert' said she had mental problems when she alleged abuse by her ex-partner.
Speaker: Barbara Biggs journalist/author/ rally instigator - www.barbarabiggs.com.au
Cat Gander, Head - Women's Refuge Movement NSW
Robyn Cotterell-Jones, Executive Director
Victims of Crime Assistance League Inc NSW


VICTORIA

Venue: between the children's maze playground and Rathdowne St, Carlton, next to the Museum: Rathdowne St entry or cross park from Nicholson on foot
Time: 10.30 for 11a.m. start Sunday May 3

MC: PHIL CLEARY Commentator and advocate for action to prevent violence against women, after his sister was murdered by her former partner

SARAH VESSALI – LAWYER Private practitioner working predominantly in the area of family violence and family law. Previously principal lawyer at Women's Legal Service Victoria for almost 8 years.

DIONNE FEHRING whose two very young children were murdered by her ex-husband five weeks after he was given custody, despite his threats and a history of domestic violence.

JEN JEWEL BROWN Council of Single Mothers and their Children, journalist, Vic rally and campaign coordinator

CHARLES PRAGNELL child protection expert since the 1960s, is highly concerned over “Parental Alienation Syndrome” theory in Family Law proceedings forcing many Australian children to suffer continuing abuse and even death.

SPECIAL GUESTS include fine emerging singer/songwriter/guitarist FIONA MCKENZIE

A clothes line of little red clothes will be raised to represent 20 children whose lives have been lost in family violence since 1996. White flowers will be pinned to the clothes to celebrate and honour these children.
Wear red for power wisely used and in sympathy.

Further info: Jen Jewel Brown 0408 898 338 jenjewelbrown@fastmail.fm

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Venue: Steps Parliament House
North Tce Adelaide
Time: 10.30am for 11a.m.

Rally Details: email Rina Russo at rinarusso@dodo.com.au

MC - Ann Bressington Independant MP

Ann O'Neill, founder Angelhands - Adelaide speaker
A mother who lost her children in a murder suicide at the hands of their father.

Ilsa Evans, Academic/Author of Broken, a book on domestic violence patterns

Professor Freda Briggs - National spokesperson
Emeritus Professor, Uni of SA

Rina Russo Co-founder MACSA - MC and South Australia co-ordinator

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Venue: Princess May Park, Fremantle (cnr Cantonment & Parry and Adelaide Streets, behind Clancy’s)
Time: 10.15 for 10.30am start Sunday May 3

Email contact: ahartwig@womenscouncil.com.au

MC - Ann Moore Chairwoman of the Women's Council for Domestic & Family Violence Services (WA)

Speaker - Carolyn Harris Johnson, Academic/Author of Commonwealth Prize-winning
book Come With Daddy (2005), interviews with seven mothers whose children were murdered by their fathers following family breakdown including

Speaker - Michelle Steck, a journalist mother who lost one child in a murder suicide 16 years ago after being pressured to agree to consent orders despite a history of domestic violence. After a second marriage, she has now been in the FCA for eight years with her four children.

Speaker - Tanya, a mother who was stabbed 31 times by her husband but is still unable to get a 'no contact' order under existing Family Law legislation will tell her story of escaping death at the hands of her ex-husband who still wants to see his seven children.

Angela Hartwig, Executive Officer
Women's Council for Domestic & Family Violence Services (WA)

FL NOW Conference Workshop-Dr. Mo Hannah

The Florida NOW child custody committee is proud to present a workshop led by Dr. Mo Hannah.

The workshop will be held May 2, 2009 at the Wyndam Hotel, Jacksonville FL.
Scheduled presenting time is from 10am until 11:30am.

Mo Therese Hannah, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology at Siena College in Loudonville, New York. She co-founded and serves as Chair of the annual Battered Mothers Custody Conference, now in its sixth year. This conference hosts the nation's leading attorneys, experts, authors, and advocates working in the area of battered mothers' custody problems in presenting their cutting-edge knowledge and experience to litigating mothers, to other experts, and to the general public. In 2008, she was honored as one of the “30 Leaders in 30 Years” by the New York State Coalition against Domestic Violence. She has published five books and produced numerous articles and presentations on issues revolving around interpersonal relationships. She is co-editor of the book, Domestic Violence, Abuse, and Child Custody: Legal Strategies and Policy Issues, to be published in 2009.

For registration information:


or email z4zeba@aol.com

California AB 612 Hearing (Child Custody: Non-Scientific Theories)

From the Center for Judicial Excellence:

This weekend CJE received notice that Nancy Lee Grahn - star of TV's General Hospital, will provide celebrity testimony at tomorrow's AB 612 hearing and participate in a pre-hearing press conference with bill author Assemblyman Jim Beall (D-San Jose) and litigants.

However, it means we will now need to be in Sacramento by 8:00am. If you are leaving from the Bay Area, you will need to leave by 6:30am to be there in time for the press conference

** Our carpool will leave Marin at 6:30 sharp. **
We will meet at the commuter parking lot under the highway 101 overpass in downtown San Rafael (located on Fifth Street between Irwin & Hetherton).

Psychologists and attorneys that making money off such non-scientific theories such as PAS will certainly be there to oppose this bill, will you be there to support it?

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