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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

To want teenage dd to leave *edited by MNHQ to reflect that some discussion of eating disorders takes place*

134 replies

Stitch2017 · 05/09/2017 11:16

Wasn't really sure where to post this, so I'm posting here for traffic.

I'm at the end of my tether. I've felt sick, vomited several times and my heart has been pounding for days.

Teenage dd, 17. January she was on top of the world. A levels, part time job, lots of cash saved for driving lessons. Then she met a 26 year old man at work. She was 16 at the time.

We found out about 4 months into the relationship when I tried to confiscate her phone for some misdemeanor.

Suddenly everything fell into place. The late nights up talking to friends, the changes in her appearance, random gifts appearing, etc. I was shocked and not happy about the age gap, but as time has gone on things have got worse.

She was 15 % underweight at one point, convinced the drs she was anorexic, and got referred to a therapist who she told she hadn't eaten for three days. We thought she was depressed, hence the GP visit.

She's eating a now but still looks painfully thin. Her skin is pale, her hair is green due to over dyeing different colours. She has new piercings in her ears, stomach and nose which keep getting infected. She failed her A levels (U, U, E), despite being predicted Bs and Cs at Xmas. She has been fired from several jobs and 'let go; from others.

He's currently in Portugal (home country) but due back again soon, and I don't think I can cope with it again. He is a sex obsessed predator. He has videos and pictures of her, and all he is interested in is meeting up for sex. He cheated on her with a work colleague and she still goes back. He doesn't care that she has failed her exams. He watches porn, and without going into details, he treats my daughter like a porn actress. He wants a threesome with her and a friend. She now thinks that this is all normal relationship behaviour. He reinforces her own insecurities about her body. He draws, and drew a picture of her but told her he used a victoria's secret model for the body. He wants a sex party.

She is an emotional mess. She lies non stop, including to him. She has told him she has a flashy car and is starting a law degree. She appears to compulsively lie, and it can be about anything and everything. She is snappy with her siblings and not pleasant at all to be around.

I only know because when we thought she was anorexic and suicidal, we checked her facebook messages. I've never invaded her privacy before, but the GP couldn't help, there are no therapies around, they won't prescribe, and I was living with the fear that I was going to find her dead one day. She doesn't know that I've read them, so it's impossible for me to explain to her how unhealthy the relationship is.

I'm just so sick now of being lied to, the worry of it all, and being treated like dirt. I work 7 days a week, but I work from home a lot so I've been around for her, and even taking her to work with me at weekends (it's a job she can help with) and it's been so draining.

I want to tell her, if she wants to keep seeing him and throwing her life away she needs to move out. AIBU? What else can I do?

OP posts:
user838383 · 05/09/2017 15:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ttbb · 05/09/2017 15:37

Who is she staying with in Portugal? You mentioned that you work from home-can you move far far away? My first priority would be to get her away from this creep.

LIZS · 05/09/2017 15:42

If she has been referred to cahms then she is vulnerable. Agree speak to police without her knowledge first. Bear in mind they may involve ss. If she gets wind of it in advance she may delete evidence and tip him off which could hinder any investigation. Did she send the video to him or did he/they make it?

Be there for the inevitable fall out, whatever happens, and encourage her to follow up counselling and sti tests.

Squashit · 05/09/2017 15:48

You can buy drug testing kits off of Amazon quite reasonably.

I suspect there may be a drugs issue.

GogoGobo · 05/09/2017 15:55

I would 100 percent work on him. He sounds a total Cnut. Reporting him for the images on his phone of an under 18 should ensure a visit from the police and I would start to make as much noise about him at his place of work etc. I would seriously consider going to see him and telling him you are going to make his life a misery over the sexual images as she is under 18 and tell him you won't be satisfied until he is in prison. You may drive him away from her.
As for your daughter, I would be straight with her and tell her it's over between him and her, she has fucked up and you are intervening.
My niece behaved like this with my Sister for 3 painful years. I had her come to live with me for 8 months to try and help her hit "reset", we helped her get college courses/jobs supported friendships paid for travel, put a very supportive family around her etc and NONE OF IT WORKED. It nearly killed my sister and had a major detrimental effect on her marriage. She only came out the other side when the guy dumped her and yes, she was pregnant by him at the time.
Nightmare doesn't describe it.
Focus on getting him out of her life, I doubt your daughter will chose to be away from him.
Good luck x

Lovemusic33 · 05/09/2017 16:03

Op, you sound like a great mum and you are doing the right thing by going to the police.

I was very similar to your dd, I met a older man when I was 15, he was 24, he had been in prison, my parents knew this yet they let him into our home. He groomed me, controlled me and abused me. I started self harming and my school work went to pot ( messed up my gcse's), the man I was seeing was a alcoholic, again my parents knew this but did nothing to split us up. All ended very badly and I still resent my parents for not trying harder to split us up. I'm not sure if they would have succeeded but I know if it was my dd I would have done what I could to keep this man away from my daughter.

Do all you can to keep this creep away from your daughter.

Stitch2017 · 05/09/2017 16:22

I'm home based, but moving away is not an option.

She is at home with us, in the UK. He is Portuguese of origin and back there for a home visit. He stays here with his sister and brother in law and works in retail . We had hoped he was going back for longer or permanently, but he is talking of coming back this week.

Would ss really be interested as she is 17?

I have considered threatening him. I think he would lose interest if he thought he was going to get a visit from the police! I think the only way to really stop him is to report it though :(

OP posts:
Lovemusic33 · 05/09/2017 16:31

First of all I would report him and see if the police can do anything. If nothing can be done I would be tempted to take maters into your own hands by making his life hell.

MiniTheMinx · 05/09/2017 16:38

Having a quiet word in his ear might work, but what will you say to him that will give him reason to stay away? Because if you threaten him with the police and tell him you know about the film/images he can delete them.

Best to go to the police first. If you make threats or send someone else to then go to the police you are compromising yourself.

If and only if the police will not intervene and investigate, I'd ensure he was warned off.

AgathaF · 05/09/2017 16:43

I would only threaten him as a last resort. He'd probably tell your daughter and she'd resent you for it and probably clam up further to. Hopefully the police will take it seriously. Even if they only question him and take it no further, it might be enough to frighten him off. If it doesn't then I'd maybe consider speaking to his employer rather than speaking to him directly.

Worth contacting SS. Even if they don't do anything, the more agencies that know about him the better. He is a risk though, so they may offer advice if nothing else.

He stays with family here in the UK then? Could they be another last resort contact? Do they know about your dd?

FreakinScaryCaaw · 05/09/2017 16:51

Glad you're reporting it.

Shower her with love even when it's difficult to do

MrsJayy · 05/09/2017 16:53

I wouldn't go near him he might move your Dd further away from you by saying your mum hates me blah blah i would just contact the police

HiggeldyPiggeldy · 05/09/2017 17:23

this whole situation is every parents nightmare no new advice but agree with others who say go to the police, and go now before he is back in the country, it may be that he could be arrested for grooming or explicit images of a child

I wish you lots of luck

YetAnotherHelenMumsnet · 05/09/2017 18:45

Hi Stitch,
We hope you don't mind but it has been suggested to us that we amend the title of this thread a little to reflect that eating disorders have come up in the conversation. We will do that now, and we hope that the advice that you have received here does help.

ZuriWanders · 05/09/2017 18:54

I got thrown out my house aged 17. My life deteriorated even worse, I mean it got really bad. If it weren't for a team of youth officers, I don't know where I would be today. I don't blame my family, I know they were trying to make the best of a poor situation and I made their lives hell at the time.

Please don't kick her out.

WhoresDoeuvres · 05/09/2017 19:33

The trigger warning for ED is bizarre considering that the main issue is serious sexual abuse Confused

niccyb · 05/09/2017 19:42

If you throw her out, he will have won and then she will feel that he is in full control. It Sounds like she is being controlled and as a result her mental health is suffering. She is gonna need your support.

MrsJayy · 05/09/2017 19:57

I agree with you whoresDoeuvres totally bizarre but i guess it upset posters enough that it got a trigger warning

Stitch2017 · 05/09/2017 20:19

I agree that the issue is sexual abuse though I am still closely monitoring her eating and weight gain. I wouldn't want this thread to be a trigger for anyone else though, so if hq think a warning is necessary, I'm really not bothered.

I really do appreciate the support and advice that everyone has offered even if I can't acknowledge every post individually. I used to be a regular on here but as my kids grew up I'm rarely on here these days!

I feel so much better for venting and knowing there is something I can do. I felt so helpless and frustrated, angry, hurt for her and for me. I've now copied and saved the contents of the messages so I have evidence for the police. As much as anything I don't want this happening to another teen and for someone else to go through this.

We had a good chat again earlier. We've been up and down and through this so many times lately, it won't really change anything but I can keep chipping away at it. She is very slowly being more honest with me which is a good sign.

OP posts:
MrsJayy · 05/09/2017 20:24

That is a good sign if she is telling you things sounds really tough for you all. Oh it doesn't matter if your kids are grown my youngest is 20 ☺

FreakinScaryCaaw · 05/09/2017 21:10

Yes a good sign Smile

namechangedforthisreply · 05/09/2017 21:38

No advice but wanted to send Flowers and say stay strong as she needs you

SummerHols2017 · 05/09/2017 21:48

Hi, you have received some great advice and hopefully it will help in your difficult circumstances. You mentioned hiding your daughters passport and it just rang a few warning bells. Please double check, but as far as I am aware over 16's can apply for their own passports without needing parental consent. Just with the Portugal angle and the fact that you have gone to the trouble of hiding the passport she has, it may be worth bearing that in mind & how she might finance it, if she was to apply for one. Sorry I cannot offer better advice than you already have been given, you are doing a great job in difficult circumstances so remember to be kind to yourself too. Maintaining (with some difficulty) the lines of communication will hopefully mean your dd will come round to your way of thinking very soon.

MissBabbs · 05/09/2017 22:05

I wonder if he and his relatives have the correct work permits etc to be in the UK. Drawing attention to them, if a police visit takes place, might mean he is less welcome to stay with his sister.

LadyLovelace · 06/09/2017 00:33

If he's Portuguese does he not have freedom of movement across the EU (for now)?

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