He Ignored the Bruises. Then He Took Her Son.
Jenn stood trembling in front of the judge, holding police reports, therapist notes, and pictures of bruises on her 6-year-old son. She expected help. She expected protection. What she got instead was a devastating order that handed custody to the very man she’d reported for abuse.
“He said I was manipulating the system,” Jenn recalled. “He never even looked at the evidence.”
How Does This Keep Happening?
Jenn’s story isn’t unique. Across the U.S., protective parents are losing custody after reporting abuse — punished for speaking up. Family court judges routinely dismiss or downplay credible abuse reports, instead accusing mothers (and sometimes fathers) of lying or exaggerating to gain legal advantage.
And when parents fight back, they’re labeled uncooperative, alienating, unstable. They are placed under supervised visitation or removed from their children’s lives entirely — while the alleged abuser gains power, unchallenged.
Judges with Too Much Power — and Zero Accountability
Family courts operate with sweeping discretion and minimal oversight. There’s no jury. No media scrutiny. No transcript in many jurisdictions. Judges are free to override evidence, silence protective parents, and grant custody to dangerous individuals — with little fear of consequences.
“It’s a power trip,” said one retired family law attorney. “Many judges operate like kings in their courtroom — and the only people who suffer are the children.”
Systemic Neglect Masquerading as Neutrality
Family court culture often prioritizes neutrality over protection. It treats all parties as equally flawed — even when there is clear evidence of harm. Protective parents are expected to cooperate with abusers in the name of “coparenting.” The system wants peace, not truth.
But this so-called peace often places children directly into harm’s way.
The Real Cost
Jenn hasn’t seen her son in six months. Her supervised visits were revoked after she tried to comfort him during a panic attack. The judge accused her of emotional manipulation.
“He used to cry and beg not to go,” she said. “Now he just stares at the floor when we pass each other.”
Family court didn’t just fail Jenn. It endangered her child. And it’s doing the same to countless others.