Dozens of children have been forced into contact with fathers accused of abuse, a study has found.
In some cases in the research, revealed for the first time by the BBC, the fathers were convicted paedophiles.
In all cases, fathers had used a disputed concept in court known as “parental alienation”.
Separately, the same concept has been cited in the deaths of women after family courts allowed fathers accused of abuse to apply for contact.
The BBC investigation found five mothers 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 parental alienation 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”.
The 45 mothers 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 miscarriages, heart attacks and suicidal thoughts.
Source: Family courts: Children forced into contact with fathers accused of abuse – BBC News