"They put me in a police car and I just kept saying, ‘you have the wrong person, you have the wrong person.’"

Unfortunately, this story is not isolated. Parental alienation has to be one of the worst forms of coercive control and domestic violence, as the alienating parent uses the children as pawns. Authorities and the judiciary often seem to turn a blind eye, failing to acknowledge the facts, and at times handing children over to the very abusive parent, as demonstrated in this story.

If a parent has lost custody of a child, do not be quick to assume that they have done something wrong - even if it is the mother.

There is a very real possibility that they are entirely, unequivocally innocent - a victim of parental alienation and systemic failures. Sometimes these failures occur on multiple levels, including but not limited to inept investigations, bias, and even corruption.

It is understood that by now, authorities and the judiciary have received training on coercive control, yet these various forms of abuse still impact even the most innocent and vulnerable lives.

You have to ask yourself: what kind of parent, what kind of family, would do something as cruel as this to their own child or children? What kind of parent, what kind of family, would do something like this to the other parent who co-created those children?

As a form of deflection, what often seems to happen is that false narratives are created, smear campaigns are put into motion, and the alienated parent is portrayed as unfit - “textbook bipolar,” especially if it is the mother who has been isolated.

The alienating parent/family - the abusers - will not only do everything in their power to try and destroy the reputation of the other parent, they will then allege they did nothing wrong and claim it was all the courts’ doing, as they hide behind their behaviour.

Parental alienation has been occurring since the beginning of time. Generally men have been associated with experiencing it, however women are not exempt. It is less known when it comes to mothers; mothers tend to retreat, stay silent, almost always to protect the children. It is encouraging to see that more and more women globally are finally speaking up about it.

When you hear of a parent being alienated - estranged - from their child and/or children, do not assume they have done something wrong. They are more than likely entirely innocent. Rather, ask yourself: what kind of parent or family would do that to their own children, to another human being?

The following posts will share more real-life stories. Brace yourself - it is completely and utterly disgraceful.

Knowledge is power.

Assumption is ignorance.