'CHILDREN WITHOUT A VOICE' DIR. CAREN BROWN ISSUES A CALL TO ACTION FOR VIRGINIA PROTECTIVE MOTHERS AS 34 ALREADY PREPARE FOR SPECIAL SUBCOMMITTEE ...

'CHILDREN WITHOUT A VOICE' DIRECTOR CAREN BROWN ISSUES A CALL TO ACTION FOR VIRGINIA PROTECTIVE MOTHERS AS 34 ALREADY PREPARE FOR SPECIAL STATE SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE JUDICIAL MANHANDLING OF CHILDREN IN POST-SEPARATION CUSTODY LITIGATION WHEN FAMILY ABUSE IS A FACTOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Caren Taylor Pressley Brown, Executive Director of Children Without A Voice, a Virginia advocacy organization for Protective Mothers of abused children, is calling all Virginia Protective Mothers to action. Caren met recently with Attorney General Bob McDonnell, and his staff, and Courts of Justice members Senator Ryan McDougle and Delegate William R. “Bill” Janis to discuss those specific cases in Virginia in which, when a child alleges abuse by the father, the father accuses the mother of “parental alienation,” and the Protective Mother loses custody of her child. Custody is not an issue in these cases until the abuse allegations surface.

"I don't believe a judge would take custody away from a mother when legitimate allegations of abuse have been made,” Delegate Janis told Ms. Brown.

“It is happening,” she persisted. And she prevailed.

Delegate Bill Janis is now asking for the following, which he plans to share with a newly formed subcommittee made up of Senator Ryan McDougle and Marla Decker of the attorney general's office, to help him look into this problem: CASES, that is to say, only the most very basic information to include {A} county or counties; {B} names of judge(s), guardian(s) ad litem, custody evaluator(s), court appointed therapist(s); {C} year custody was lost; {D} a one to two sentence description of the abuse and what happened. Party names may be omitted and will NOT be submitted to the subcommittee; the names of judges will remain confidential unless the Protective Mother testifies and chooses to reveal the identify of her judge, or her judges, to the General Assembly.

PROTECTIVE MOTHERS IN VIRGINIA ARE INVITED TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR PERSONAL STORIES OR ANY SUCH INFORMATION THEY BELIEVE WILL SUPPORT AND ASSIST THIS VERY IMPORTANT CAUSE BY CALLING CAREN AT 804.249.0236 OR EMAILING CAREN.BROWN@CHILDRENWITHOUTAVOICE.ORG (confidentiality assured)

In just one day, Caren, with help from other Protective Mothers, collected 34 (61 as of January 23, 2008) Virginia cases, but she knows of many more. And she is committed to compiling and submitting a complete list of all Protective Mothers in Virginia because each case missed is one small voice of one sad child who may never be heard. She has requested an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General and Protective Mothers may be asked to testify in front of the General Assembly regarding their cases. Caren Brown has personally pledged to Bob McDonnell that she "will not stop" until something is done to prevent the horrific injustice inflicted upon these Protective Parents and their children.

Please join Caren in her mission.

Caren is currently attempting to pass revisions to improve Virginia Code Section 20-124.3 by proposing legislation that would add the following language to the family abuse provision:

No parent shall be deprived of custody, visitation, or contact with his or her child, nor be restricted in custody, visitation or contact, nor shall such a child be placed in foster care, simply because that parent or a mandated reporter reasonably suspects the child is the victim of child abuse or the effects of domestic violence and acts lawfully and in good faith in response to such suspicion or belief to protect the child or obtain treatment for the child.

Caren also wants the General Assembly to consider adopting the Protective Parent Act and the Approximation Rule for Virginia.

CAREN TAYLOR PRESSLEY BROWN
Phone: 804.249.0236
Email: caren.brown@childrenwithoutavoice.org

Veronique Wyvell, RN
Member, Fairfax County Network Against Family Abuse
Founder, MOMMY GO BYE-BYE: Mothers Against Unjust Law
7831 Enola Street, #TA7, McLean, Virginia 22102
VWyvell@patriot.net

MAUL (Mothers Against Unjust Law) Goals:
Rebuttable PRESUMPTIONS Against Custody for Batterers
PPAs (Parenting Plan Agreements) before Litigation
Moratorium on CCEs (Child Custody Evaluations)
MINIMUM Parent-Time Schedules (UTAH Code)
JURY Trials (in Domestic Relations Cases)
PROTECTIVE Parent Reform Acts
DIGITAL Courtroom Records
ALI's Approximation Rule
TERM LIMITS for Judges

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ADDENDA

TENNESSEE § 36-6-112 is created to provide for the Protective Parent Reform Act, which states that if a parent makes a good faith allegation, based on a reasonable belief supported by facts, that his or her child is the victim of the effects of domestic violence, and if that parent acts lawfully and in good faith to protect or seek treatment for the child, then that parent shall not be deprived of custody, visitation, or contact with the child, or subjected to restricted custody, visitation, or contact solely because of that belief or reasonable actions based upon it. (Page 65)
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