Dr. Chrystal Obi’s 3-year-old daughter’s body was discovered last weekend at a recycling facility. Her ex had murdered her on an overnight, unsupervised visit and thrown her body in a dumpster. After which he killed himself.
A truly evil act. But the father could not have murdered her without the aiding and abetting of a Family Court judge.
Chrystal had fought for three years—nearly Ellie’s entire short life—to protect her. As usual, despite abundant evidence her ex was dangerous, the judge granted him unsupervised visits. Not long after that, she was dead.
Now Chrystal is left to grieve the unbearable loss of her precious daughter.
This is yet another case of a woman desperately trying, and failing, to protect her child within a system that is oppressive and hostile to women, while being conciliatory towards and privileging men.
Judges cannot be trusted to do the right thing in custody cases. Too many end horribly as this one has. And it is not just custody cases that end in children’s death that are the problem. Countless cases result in mothers being alienated from their children, often a fate akin to death. More on that in the Takeaways.
3 year-olds should not be taken away from mothers, their primary attachment figure, for long periods of time or overnight. The prevailing—false—narrative and presumption (even if it is not in writing) in Family Court remains that fathers should get 50/50 parenting time, even of infants who are still breastfeeding.
Mandatory 50/50 is never in children’s best interests, unless both parents feel that is best for their kids. It can be catastrophic in cases where the father is not a good parent, which is the majority of custody cases. This pernicious fiction needs to be changed both culturally and legally.
Source: Daughter “Stolen” by Family Court—Mom Cries Out after Baby Murdered by Ex