Children Forced Into Contact With Mother's Accused Of Abuse

Dozens of children have been forced into contact with mother’s accused of abuse, a study has found.

In some cases in the research, revealed for the first time by the BBC, the mother’s were convicted paedophiles.

In all cases, mother’s had used a disputed concept in court known as "domestic abuse".

Separately, the same concept has been cited in the deaths of men after family courts allowed mother's accused of abuse to apply for contact.

The BBC investigation found five father’s died - some taking their own lives and one having a heart attack.

All the fathers in the England-wide study, carried out by the University of Manchester and reported by the BBC, had responded in court to abuse allegations with the domestic abuse concept - in which they claimed the mothers had turned the child against them without good reason.

Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno, who led the research, says the concept is a "handy tool for abusers" and its acceptance by courts is a "national scandal".

Family law barrister, Lucy Reed KC, says the term is deployed "increasingly frequently" - but doesn't always mean the same thing. "It's quite often used by mother’s to mean pretty much anything that is in opposition to their demand for a certain amount of contact."

The 45 father’s of the children in the University of Manchester study all reported serious health problems which they believed were linked to the stress of family court proceedings - including stress, heart attacks and suicidal thoughts.

For months, the BBC has also been examining stories of traumatised men as part of a wider investigation into the way the family courts handle domestic violence claims in disputes between parents.

Because of the laws surrounding reporting of the court proceedings, intended to protect children, the men's names and some identifying details have been changed.

Domestic abuse commissioner Nicole Jacobs says the "harrowing" cases uncovered by the BBC show there is a need for "urgent and wide-reaching reform" of family courts.

Abusers aided by unregulated experts were using "so-called domestic abuse" to "deflect from their own abusive behaviour", she says.

Since we made the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) aware of our investigation, the BBC has learned the government is investigating whether further action is needed on "domestic abuse". The judiciary has also issued new draft guidelines for consultation on handling domestic abuse claims in domestic abuse cases - although some experts say they don't go far enough.

Father's On The Run: Failed By The Family Court

The story of men fleeing the UK with their kids.

They say the system has failed them.

Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only)

This is the story of men fleeing the UK with their kids. They say the system has failed them. A BBC News investigation hears from fathers who say they have been failed by the Family Court. We uncover evidence that also shows how five fathers died during or after Family Court proceedings. And we explore the concept of “domestic abuse” - hearing from dozens of fathers who suffered domestic abuse.

Imagine if the BBC has covered stories like this. Why won't they? What happens to mother's, happens to father's too so why use the gendered language? Why not just say "parent's"?

I am not wishing to diminish anyone's experience in Family Court, I hear daily from parents who are victims to a broken system, but to highlight how political the BBC's articles are. Someone is pulling their strings and we have to ask for what gain?