Press Releases

12^th September 2017 - for immediate release

Independent expert evidence of unfounded and false allegations of domestic abuse in family courts.

 FNF calls for independent research into the misuse of domestic abuse allegations in contact and residence cases.

"False and unfounded allegations poison proceedings when a non-resident parent is seeking parenting time with his children. Judges need to make findings of fact as soon as possible and to take false allegations into account when determining the best interests of the child."

Research into a sample of 75 Scottish family actions revealed that allegations of abuse were made in 35% of contact/residence actions and 70% were found to be false or unfounded.

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PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION 27 July 2017 (Updated)

In an extraordinary move the Ministry of Justice agency CAFCASS (Child and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) have opened confidential case files to Women’s Aid to undertake a study of allegations of domestic abuse.

Family justice charity Families Need Fathers is very disappointed that a Government agency has published a press release favouring the views of a lobbying charity relating to women and girls without any reference to balancing views regarding the widespread abuse of men and boys in the context of the family courts. This is a one-sided publication that is clearly intended to influence practice in the Family Courts.

The biggest issue is the ‘perception’ of bias. CAFCASS is a Government agency while Women’s Aid campaigns for recognition that ‘Domestic violence and abuse is a devastating form of violence against women and girls’. Understandably given their remit, Women’s Aid is not an obvious advocate for the experience of men and boys who are also victims of abuse – including the deliberate making of unfounded allegations against fathers in the context of family disputes.

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For immediate release 04/08/2017

Families Need Fathers (FNF) the UK's leading shared parenting charity are today releasing the transcript of Sir James Munby's speech at FNF’s recent 2017 annual conference.

In his judgment published yesterday, Sir James said in the case of child 'X' “we, the system, society, the state … will have blood on our hands”.

At our conference, Sir James – President of the Family Division - went further, identifying many flaws in family justice itself that must be fixed. He observed: 
 
that 'family courts are [becoming] a lawyer-free zone' 
(More and more people are forced to represent themselves if they can’t afford lawyers)

that we need to recognise 'the reality of parental alienation' 
(Children are being deprived of a parent by the other parent’s malicious or undermining behaviour)
 
‘One of the greatest vices of the system… is the unfounded allegation [of violence/abuse] which festers around and poisons the process.‘

 ‘we know that people game the system, and the classic example of that is one of the bits of LASPO [Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012] is you do get legal aid if there’s an allegation of domestic violence…’

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One has to wonder if the ‘single parent’ charity Gingerbread is trying to use The Times to pull the wool over the eyes of the public and the establishment. In an article  headlined ‘Fathers use elaborate tricks to avoid paying child support’ we hear the same old one-sided story implying that men are feckless ‘high-rollers’ who care nothing for their children and who create elaborate financial scams to defraud the hapless Child Maintenance and Tax authorities who are left trailing in their wake.

This seems part of a campaign that seeks to convince us all that men are bad, women are good and children are best saved from having to have a relationship with their fathers. Gingerbread and others seek to polarise the argument about what’s best for children of separated parents. 

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For immediate release 24/6/2018

Some 100 delegates concurred that their presence signified that family justice had “fallen short” and continued to be “depressing”.

Sir Andrew stressed the importance of fact finding where contested allegations are made and the importance of avoiding delay that prevents the making of arrangements that meet children’s welfare needs.

Allegations of parental alienation as much as of domestic abuse need to be “determined on the same basis” Sir Andrew said.

The judiciary are to consider whether the time is right for “Early Intervention” and guidance as to what “the norm” might be for child arrangements where there are no safeguarding risks.

On Saturday 23^rd June Families Need Fathers, the UKs leading Shared Parenting charity, held a conference on the theme of restoring confidence in Family Justice. The Rt Hon Lord Justice McFarlane delivered the keynote address, tackling issues of domestic abuse allegations and parental alienation and the need to have early findings of fact in such cases in order to meet children’s welfare interests. He also charted a course for the future

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