A while back I asked for advice on a neutral handover locations for child visitation, I got some good advice which will really help in the future.
This is just an update on the situation that prompted the question: the violent attack by my ex-partner. My Ex got three years with one year suspended and was found guilty of attempted manslaughter. The custodial sentence not only surprised me but a lot of the professionals who have been involved since the attack, I was fully expecting him to be released and had already planned my escape. The sentence gives me an opportunity to get myself sorted, I fully intend to be back in the UK by next year but the sentence allows me to plan and prepare properly which will make the transition easier for my DD.
The child psychologist team who have supported both DD and me and my counsellor have come up with a plan (which I had urged them to do) so that DD can see her father in prison (he will be counselled before he has contact with her and they will supervise a number of visits thereafter). I Really wouldn't have made it without the support of my counsellor and DD's child psychologist team, these people have gone above and beyond what I could have ever expected or hoped for and I will be eternally grateful.
I am no longer in contact with his family and although I would like a break from the 24/7ness of being a LP I am glad that I am not being sucked back into the dysfunction that their denial brings.
Although it is a mess financially speaking, I am grateful that I am free from my Ex and tens of thousands of Euro is a small price for the physical and emotional well being of both my DD and me.
The despair that I felt tugging at me for the last couple of months has lifted and I am very optimistic about the future.
Broadcast over :-)