Experts at the Leadership Council on Child Abuse & Interpersonal Violence estimate that more than 58,000 children per year are ordered into unsupervised contact with physically or sexually abusive parents following divorce in the United States. This is more than twice the yearly rate of new cases of childhood cancer.



This moving collection of photos and stories reveals the life altering – and often unbelievable – experiences of 14 families who have survived traumatic family court ordeals in eight different states. Their courageous stories represent a snapshot of a growing national and international epidemic. Family court judges, mediators and well-paid court appointees routinely ignore the law and violate mandatory family court and domestic violence procedures. They frequently disregard medical and other evidence of sexual and physical abuse, including police reports, domestic violence restraining orders and child abuse reports made to Child Protective Services by teachers, therapists and doctors.



It is our sincere desire that this book and related exhibit will put a human face on the widespread destruction that is taking place in our family courts. We also wish to bring hope to those who have suffered through this nightmare ~ real hope that their devastating nightmares in the family courts will be seen and believed, and that their stories will inspire the sweeping reforms that are so desperately needed in our nation’s broken family court system.