To: The New Jersey State House, The New Jersey State Senate, and Governor Phil Murphy
MOTHERS JUSTICE MOVEMENT: Stop New Jersey Judges from forcing defenseless children to be harmed b...
In 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice released a study (Saunders Report) that found the STANDARD and REQUIRED domestic violence training received by judges, lawyers, and evaluators does not adequately prepare them to handle abuse cases. Inadequately trained professionals tend to believe the myth that mothers frequently make false allegations. MOST contested custody cases are actually domestic abuse or child abuse cases in which abusers have been allowed to use the courts to regain control over their victims, and bankrupt the safe, primary care-giving, protective mother.
Why is this important?
WE ARE PETITIONING FOR A STATEWIDE INVESTIGATION OF FAMILY COURT PRACTICES IN AN EFFORT TO STOP NEW JERSEY JUDGES FROM HARMING INNOCENT DEFENSELESS CHILDREN. New Jersey residents are being bled of our most valuable resource, the innocence of a child, and because of which, we are slowly losing our grip on the future of America.
Since 1998, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has continued a lengthy investigation into adverse childhood experiences (ACE). ACE is one of the largest medical investigations ever conducted to assess associations between childhood maltreatment and later-life health and well-being. They found that a child’s exposure to certain traumas, including domestic violence, child sexual abuse, or being separated from their primary caregiving parent, resulted in more illnesses and injuries to children in childhood through adulthood, i.e., social emotional and cognitive impairment; adoption of health-risk behaviors; disease, disability and social problems; and PREMATURE DEATH. This study demonstrates how a child’s exposure to these elements are a PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. Yet every year, an estimated 58,000 children are court ordered into custody or unsupervised visitation with a reported abuser.
Additionally, current research estimates that false allegations of sexual abuse happens less that 2% of the time, yet 85% of those children are court ordered into shared or sole custody with the parent that is raping them. Inadequately trained professionals tend to believe the myth that mothers frequently make false allegations, contrary to current research. Therefore, in thinking they have the needed expertise, family court professionals don't listen to domestic violence or child abuse evidence, experts, and they don't include current scientific research. Mothers are being forced into bankruptcy and poverty trying to protect their children, and their children are being irreparably harmed.
Governor Chris Christie, House and Senate Representatives, we now have the medical research through the CDC to declare domestic violence, child abuse, and being separated from a primary attachment parent a PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. And the U.S. Department of Justice's Saunders report states that the STANDARD and REQUIRED domestic violence training received by judges, lawyers, and evaluators does not adequately prepare them to handle abuse cases. WE ARE PETITIONING FOR A STATEWIDE INVESTIGATION OF FAMILY COURT PRACTICES IN AN EFFORT TO STOP NEW JERSEY JUDGES FROM HARMING INNOCENT DEFENSELESS CHILDREN. We would like to see you, our leaders, echo your constituents concerns, and ensure that the HEALTH AND SAFETY OF A CHILD WILL COME FIRST IN DIVORCE AND CUSTODY LITIGATION. We thank you in advance for your support.