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Canadian mother loses custody for alienating kids from father
by Scott Gilbreath ~ January 25th, 2009
A Toronto man and woman had three daughters during a relationship that lasted about five years. After they separated (and later divorced), the children remained in the custody of the mother, while the father was supposed to have regular access and time alone with them.
Ten years later, Justice Faye McWatt has ordered the girls, now aged 9 to 14, given to the father’s sole custody because of the mother’s relentless campaign to alienate them from him. Despite repeated warnings, she refused to change her behaviour, leading to this decision.
The mother’s “consistent and overwhelming” campaign to brainwash the children into thinking their father was a bad person was nothing short of emotional abuse, Justice Faye McWatt of the Superior Court of Justice wrote in her decision.
The three girls, ages 9 to 14, were brought to a downtown courthouse last Friday and turned over to their father, a vascular surgeon identified only as A.L.
Their mother, a chiropodist identified as K.D., was ordered to stay away from the building during the transfer and to have her daughters’ clothing and possessions sent to their father’s house.
McWatt stipulated that K.D. is to have no access to the children except in conjunction with counselling, including a special intensive therapy program for children affected by “parental alienation syndrome.” The mother must bear the costs.
K.D. ignored several court orders, shut the door in A.L.’s face when he came to collect the children, and refused to answer the phone when he called to say good night. She would send police to his home when he had a child for an overnight visit. Ultimately, she cut off all contact between A.L. and his children.
Justice McWatt heard that, as long as eight years ago, an expert had predicted that the girls would become alienated from their father unless the mother stopped brainwashing them.
Kudos to the judge for ordering this bold, if belated, change in custody. One hopes that the relationship between the daughters and their father will be restored.
The full text of the court ruling is posted here. The campaign to alienate the children from A.L. began while they were still married. It seems clear to me that K.D.’s child-rearing behaviour was, shall we say, inappropriate from the get-go.
h/t: Bourque
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