Custody, violence against women and violence against children: Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences (2023)

— Reem Alsalem

Great news from the UN! A UN report declares parent alienation an “unscientific pseudo-concept” used against the best interest of children. This thorough and wide-reaching report is a major step forward to protect victims and their children.

“Conclusion and recommendations: The report demonstrates how the discredited and unscientific pseudo-concept of parental alienation is used in family law proceedings by abusers as a tool to continue their abuse and coercion and to undermine and discredit allegations of domestic violence made by mothers who are trying to keep their children safe. It also shows how the standard of the best interest of the child is violated by imposing contact between a child and one or both parents and by prioritizing it, even where there is evidence of domestic violence. Predominantly as a result of the lack of training and gender bias and of access to legal support, the custody of children may be awarded to perpetrators of violence, despite evidence of a history of domestic and/or sexual abuse. The risks of such consequences are compounded for women from marginalized groups in society. The report elaborates on systemic issues that lead to additional barriers to justice. Judges and evaluators need to move away from focusing on the identification of behaviours that are contested within the discipline of psychology and towards a focus on the specific facts and contexts of each case.”

Read the entire report here.