Concerns about the ‘alienation plague’ that has infected family courts in the United States since the mid-1980’s are rapidly spreading across the world as there is a lot of money to be made in these cases. This article from New Zealand about the dangers of alienation in family court decision-making highlights the fact that “parental alienation syndrome” has long-since been dismissed as a theory without a clinical basis. But the ideas underpinning it – which mostly implicate women – remain embedded within the Family Court process.
“Despite his violence towards her involving threats to kill, strangulation, threats to kidnap the child … he was permitted regular unsupervised access with the infant.”
Contrary to the recommendations of the UN, there is currently no formal government process to review the use of alienation. However, the new NZ minister for the prevention of sexual and family violence, Marama Davidson, says the issue concerns her. Read more here.
