Family Court Awareness Month Success |
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Fall 2020
Dear Protective Parents and Friends,
What an amazing fall it has been. November was declared to be Family Court Awareness month and was kicked off on November 1 in Los Angeles with advocates, protective parents and legislators. This is the village of change.
We also experienced the backlash of working to move forward as we ourselves were asked to be silent to abuse dismissed.
Change takes courage. It takes the courage to tell the truth and listen to the truth.
2020 has shown us how important it is to be safe. While protective parents have been dealing with this issue prior to the pandemic, we see our world succumb to the need to be safe. That is all people want, and while many need to stay home to be safe, that is where we started, home is not safe for many.
On this Giving Tuesday, we thank all of you for what you give, day after day, year after year. You are making a difference!
CPPA
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November is Family Court Awareness Month |
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Family Court Awareness Month (FCAM) was conceptualized this year by Tina Swithin, founder and CEO of One Mom’s Battle. Tina’s mission is to shine a spotlight on the failures of the family court system while honoring the nearly 800 children who have been murdered by separating or divorcing parents since 2008.
Tina realizes it takes a village to bring the needed change. She was literally on the road via an RV to meet many of the villages of those abused by the family courts who are now voices for change across America while spreading awareness of the family court crisis. The family court crisis is ongoing abuse after leaving domestic violence. Abuse is silenced, thus more abuse ensues. It is fitting that this awareness for November follows October’s Domestic Violence Awareness month.
Tina launched this event launched in Los Angeles, CA with CPPA's Sandy Ross, protective parents Ana Estevez with Piqui's Justice, Jacqueline Franchetti with Kyra Franchetti Foundation, CA Senator Susan Rubio and Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio. We are grateful for all who tuned in to watch this live safely from home.
Many of us also changed our pages and profiles to the logos for this special month. Thank you to all who contributed.
To learn more about this tour across America, see the livestream videos and all the education efforts going forward, please go to Family Court Awareness Month's website, here.
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CO is Seeing Abuse Silenced |
While some cases may be going well in Colorado and across our country, we know of of too many that are not. We know of one that felt like they not only asked Rosa Parks to stand up, but to get off the bus.
It was 65 years ago today that Rosa Parks sat down near the front of the bus. Today we are sitting in the front row with her to end injustice.
The gag orders story, see the next story below that is being reprinted, of the CO mother who reported child sexual abuse was sentenced to jail time for speaking her truth. From what we understand, her time started at six months in jail and has been extend now a second time to 17 months .
Before the last extension by the court, the mother's attorney contacted us. They were trying to reduce their client's time in jail by asking us if we would remove our story of the flyer that was circulated. Once we deleted a Facebook post to "help" this mother, we were told it would be best to delete all references and it was noted that the father in this case checks all of our postings online daily.
We conceded at the time for our goal is to help every protective parent, even if it meant taking a step back. We found out this protective mother did not get released, did not get her children back, but did receive a longer sentence.
We have learned our lesson, we will not be silent.
We told the attorney this was asking Rosa to get off the bus and this would be the story. We were reminded they were asking and were not telling us to remove this story.
Attorneys try to please the court to help their clients. While this movement forward includes steps we must all choose, it is time we all have the courage to do what is right and justice. Our jobs are not to please the court, our job is to present the truth. If child sexual abuse does not please the court, then they should rule to protect those children and stop blaming the reporter of truth.
We all must be on the same page, we all must have the Institutional Courage to stay on the bus and child abuse must be front and center.
Most protective parents know the silencing threats are present and real. The culture to dismiss is so strong, courts have not flinched at sending children who refuse to go with the name abusive parent to either a "reunification camp" or to juvenile hall for simple for not wanting to be with that parent. Protective parents lose custody and sometimes go to jail if they want to keep speaking up to protect their children.
Is child abuse that unbearable to think of that the culture to dismiss it is that strong? Our children are living this nightmare. It is time for adults to end it.
It is time we all embrace Rosa Parks. We all have our part to do and that is to name it to end it!
For anyone who would like to send positive message to this protect this mother in jail, please send a note or card to:
CO Protective Mother of Three Girls
20-5754-BXG#
PO Box 4918
Centennial CO 80155
As we pray for all protective parents and their children, we ask you to join us in praying for her as well.
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Gag Orders in Sexual Abuse Cases |
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Colorado, Worth a Second Read |
A mother in Colorado had a gag order put on her as she was raising awareness of the sexual abuse to her children being dismissed; she was no longer allowed to discuss the case. Even though she took down what she believed the court ordered to be removed, she has lost custody and parental rights of her children and has been put in jail for at least five months.
It is time to believe child sexual abuse does happen and learn forcing them to live with their abuser is forcing them into survival mode. It is time for children's voices to be heard, abused children protected, the silencing ended and Constitutional rights be protected.
We need people to have courage to hear abuse. These gag orders are not protecting children when the abuse continues. The facts need to be understood. The abuse is what is hurting the children. With only 10% of cases of child sexual abuse being substantiated, we are seeing too much Institutional Betrayal and not enough protection. This betrayal by a system can hurt the child even more.
Read this flyer that is being shared online.
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Are we listening? We live in an age where abuse is dismissed more than it is heard or believed. Recently there was an opinion piece in the NYT that spoke to being heard. Do we hear victims?
We certainly have not learned the art of listening enough as we work to move from Institutional Betrayal to Institutional Courage.
Read this editorial below on how the hashtags #BelieveWomen and #BelieveAllWomen have been used and why asking someone to listen and respect may be the first step needed. We should question, but not quickly dismiss. We must be open to knowing abuse did happen and while it does happen to men, it is mainly to women.
While we have asked you to believe a child, we say this for we know only approximately 10% of child sexual abuse is substantiated while only 4 to 6% are false reports.
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Read the full article NYT's article, "I Don't Want You to 'Believe' Me. I Want You to Listen" by Agnes Callard here and the research from Dr. Jennifer Freyd and Alexis Adams-Clark editorial "Questioning Beliefs of Sexual Violence" here.
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The Inverted Family Court |
We have been talking the talk for over 20 years, yet here is an article by Grant Wyeth that says it all so well. We simply ask you read "How The Family Court’s Purpose To Protect Children Became Inverted" here now and come back to continue reading this afterwards.
Fantastic! This story he tells is so simple to see through his insight. He studied the works of Joan Meier and when she asked on Twitter, how did you become so knowledgeable on the subject, he said he read the empirical data, Meier's data!
He states in his follow up article that his job is to make ideas publicly accessible and he feels this story of the family court crisis, of it being inverted, is the behavior of the state.
If our states cannot protect children at the core, what is our self worth? As Wyeth states, the story is of a violence that the state could deal with, i.e. they acknowledged, accepted an act to be violence against the court itself. Yet this violence arose, unknowing at the time when it started in the 80's until his arrested in 2015, from a man being told a boundary of abuse. The past 30 years have shown the courts now are more likely than not to dismiss abuse by a man. It is time we protect our future, it is time we protect our children. All states must recognize how institutional betrayal has creep in to the point are courts are overflowing with injustice to children and protective parents.
Read his follow-up article here.
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Removing Bias from Our Courts |
We have read the empirical data, the courts are biased against protective parents.
Our hope is this bias comes to light in the new workgroup California's Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye announced to update a judicial standard that outlines steps courts can take to prohibit bias in courtroom proceedings
Read his full article here.
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The New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) will be hosting a webinar featuring Joan Meier and introduction by Jacqueline Franchetti on Wednesday, December 9 at 10 am PT/1 pm ET.
Joan Meier is a Professor of Law and Director of the National Family Violence Law Center at George Washington University Law School. At GW Law, Joan has founded and taught three pioneering and nationally recognized interdisciplinary domestic violence clinical programs. She has published widely and delivered judicial and other trainings on domestic violence, custody, and various Supreme Court decisions.
Last year, Joan published her team’s major empirical study of Child Custody Outcomes in Cases Involving Parental Alienation and Abuse Allegations, which was funded by the National Institute of Justice. Joan will present this research and the study’s findings during this webinar.
Sign up of the webinar here.
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We are so grateful when people tell their journey of childhood sexual abuse. It helps shift the culture that supports abusers to supporting victims to survivors.
Bravo to this survivor who, through Tell Somebody, is telling her story and everyday helping other victims find their balance through yoga!
Read more about her story here.
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Protective Parents Ask for Change |
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When will protective parents be believed? Sadly, many times, nearly 800 times in the US since 2008, protective parents are not heard and their child is murdered in custody, abuse and divorce situations per the Center for Judicial Excellence.
Mothers who speak out, those who have nothing left to lose, are those whose children have been murdered. Then we can believe them finally. Then society knows this is not a he said, she said situation, it is not a protective parent out for revenge, nor is it someone being bitter.
But with 500,000 children court ordered to live in abuse today per the Leadership Council, why are we only believing the parents once their child is dead?
We thank all the protective mothers whose children have been murdered and who stand up, become advocates and ask for change to prevent this from happening again to another child.
Kelsey Kruse is speaking up now after her daughter, Autumn Hallow, was murdered this year. Read here about the system failures that led to her eight year old being exposed to abuse, abuse that would take her life. Thank you, Kelsey for being a voice for change!
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Update in the Murder of Tommy Valva |
The defense attorneys are trying to suppress the evidence against the father who is on trial for murdering his son, Tommy Valva, in New York, 10 months after his death. The abuse to the children has not been brought forward yet. No charges on the physical, emotional and sexual abuse, as well as the trafficking of all of Justyna Zubko-Valva sons.
Our thanks to Justyna for speaking up and telling the truth of her journey to justice for all of her children and herself.
Watch the full updates here and read how Michael Valva was allowed to resign from the NYPD here.
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Being Abused does not Stop One from Stopping Abuse |
The world becomes a better place when someone shares their story. A child sexual abuse survivor told her story of how she coped and survived, how she did her best and became a protective parent. She told the story that too many people have for the abuse cycle in families continues until someone as brave and strong as Kara Witkowski stands up to abuse and says no more. We are crushed by her story at the same time we are so proud. We support Kara in her work to bring light and justice for James. She was there for James and nobody protected him. She spoke up and was silenced.
Listen to Kara's authentic journey here and read more about her son's death here.
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Waiting for Change on what should be a 10th Birthday |
They should have been celebrating Kayden’s 10th birthday, but her abuse was not believed and no protection was give. She was not given her right to be safe from her father’s abuse.
Before the murder-suicide, the father had a documented history of violent and erratic behavior, though no abuse allegations involving Kayden. A court-ordered psychological evaluation diagnosed him with major depressive disorder, moderate anxious distress, narcissistic and antisocial personality traits.
Since her death on Aug. 6, 2018, the group's efforts for change have been spearheaded by Kayden's mother, Kathryn Sherlock, who is working to have Kayden's Law passed in PA.
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When a Voice for Justice was Silenced |
Our thanks to the Miami Herald, Julie K. Brown and all the those working on the story that opened a new investigation into Jeffery Epstein up to this story for having the courage to say our system betrayed victims of sexual abuse and covered up horrible crimes against children.
Here is a quote from this article; please read the entire article to understand the breathe of this dismissal of the dismissal of abuse.
We agree with Villafaña, this is the culture of dismissing abuse that allows this to happen.
Institutional bias, institutional betrayal, must give way to Institutional Courage!
“I am pleased that OPR finally has completed its investigation but am disappointed that it has not released the full report so the victims and the public can have a fuller accounting of the depth of interference [by the U.S. Attorney’s Office management and Epstein’s lawyers] that led to the patently unjust outcome in the Epstein case,” Villafaña, who resigned as a federal prosecutor last year but had remained silent on the matter, said in a statement. “That injustice, I believe, was the result of deep, implicit institutional biases that prevented me and the FBI agents who worked diligently on this case from holding Mr. Epstein accountable for his crimes.”
Read the full article here.
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CPS Reports Destroyed with No Consequences |
One year ago it was discovered a social worker in Madera County, CA discarded over 300 case files of child abuse reports. In November, the DA is announcing no charges will be filed for there is not enough to convict the social worker. The department is not reporting what changes have been made to ensure this will never happen again.
Read the full article here.
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The Unconscious Community |
Never let anyone tell you what can or cannot accomplish in life. It’s never too late!! - Patrice Griffin.
Book review: In her first book, Patrice shares her story about being a fourteen-year-old girl who endures the horrors of child sexual abuse. On a path filled with every horror imaginable, there were still angels along the way. She is able to triumph and then dedicates her life to see that the hidden world of pedophiles is no longer safe. Patrice has worked to change laws and these horrendous offenders will no longer be permitted to camouflage themselves inside the world of music. She also started her nonprofit, Patrice's Kids, to educate adults on the prevention of child sexual abuse. All proceeds from the sale of The Unconscious Community will go to Patrice's Kids, Inc., a 501(c)3.The time has come to end child sexual abuse and Patrice's story is a must-read for all survivors, parents, child advocates, music professionals, and mandatory reporters.
Learn more about Patrice here.
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Two Children Murdered in Kansas |
A divorce case has turned to murder in Kansas. Our prayers for Tara Jackson and her surviving daughters after a weekend of horror with her two boys being murdered, and two of her girls abducted and later found safe after an Amber Alert was issued for their father. Donny Jackson has been arrested for the murder and abduction. A GoFundMe page has been set up by Tara’s friend.
Protective parents and children need to be safe to leave abuse. The threats are always high to leave, and sadly this outcome is not shocking to those who understand the family court crisis.
Read more of their story here.
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The father who sexually abused his 10 month old daughter to death has been charged with murder today.
If this child had lived, who would know? If a protective parent knew and told who would believe a father can do this to his own baby?
We share these horrific stories to help people know this does happen and we need it to stop.
Read more of their story here.
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An 11 year old girl takes her life at the fear of her sexual abuser being released from custody.
Read more of their story here.
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Connecticut Moves Forward with Coercive Control |
Connecticut worked to moving forward with Jennifer’s Law in October, DV Awareness month. Our thanks to all those who are working to end coercive control from Federal and State Senators Looney and Kasser, Carrie Luft who is the spokesperson for Jennifer Farber Dulos, and advocates Danielle Pollack and Besty Keller. May Connecticut be the next state to follow Hawaii and California to help bring all states to have laws against coercive control and may these new laws be used correctly.
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Save the Date for Upcoming Meetings |
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Judicial Council of California |
Judicial Council Meeting
Thursday - Friday, January 21 -22, 2021
Video Conference
We welcome all protective parents with issues regarding with Family Court to send in a written comment to the JCC since verbal public comments have not been allowed in their videoconferences. Written comments are generally due by noon two days before the meeting.
The agenda will be posted here.
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California Board of Psychology |
Board of Psychology Meeting
February 18 -19, 2021
via Webex
We welcome all protective parents with issues regarding with licensed psychologist to attend the public comment session as well as send in a written comment to the CA Board of Psychology (BOP).
The agenda is here when available. Past meetings can also be viewed here.
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Board of Behavioral Sciences |
Board of Behavioral Sciences
Thursday - Friday, March 4 - 5, 2021
@ TBD
The Board of Behavioral Sciences is responsible for licensing, examination and enforcement of LMFT’s, LCSW’s, LEP’s, and LPCC’s in CA. While their mission is to protect and serve Californians by setting, communicating, and enforcing standards for safe and competent mental health professionals, we have found the board to not be following their own mission.
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We appreciate all donations to CPPA. Your donations keep us going and allow us to do more work to ensure we continue this movement for child safety in family courts this year.
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If you have a need to donate for tax purposes, you can donate to CPPA on our site or directly through your fund, be it Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard or others.
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If you or someone you know wants to help protect children from abuse in the family courts, please consider donating to CPPA.
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If you purchase items on Amazon, you can sign up on AmazonSmiles CPPA and have part of your purchase price go to CPPA all year long.
CPPA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and your donation is tax deductible. We thank you for all of your contributions that help us protect children.
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For those of you who received this email from a friend or colleague, you are welcome to sign up for our newsletter here.
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California Protective Parents Association
P. O. Box 3632, Los Altos, CA 94024
caprotectiveparents.org
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