Child Protection Services...advice needed please

[lessofme]

My estranged sister has dropped a bit of a bombshell on me. She's alleging my mother physically abused her as a child and has contacted the police. She thinks she deserves to go to prison.

I had a phonecall today from the CPS asking if I could make a statement. I refused point blank to answer any quastions/ give any information as I really do not want any involvement in this(my sister told me she was about to do this and I begged her not to).

The CPS put quite a lot of pressure on me on the phone saying they needed evidence to corroberate her story etc. I asked if I HAD to give a statement and she said no. I said in that case I have nothing to say to you and hung up the phone.

My question is this- if this does end up in court can I be supenered to appear/give evidence against my mother even if I haven't made a statement. Can the police make me speak to them?

I am really worried about this. I think a number of my family are going to be dragged into this and it could turn very messy.

I'd REALLY appreciate any advice you could give. I'm going to call the CAB tomorrow.

Lessofme - You are not being selfish in trying to protect yourself, husband and children from the trauma of raking over all of this and going to court. Too many people have offered the opinion that you should jump to your sisters aid without considering where that will lead you or that you are estranged in any event. Court proceedings are no walk in the park especially when they involve emotions that arise in your case. I question whether some of the posters on this thread really understand what is involved in the lead up to a criminal trial and the likely result in a case like this even if a conviction results.

I think you've been given quite a hard time here. Work out what is best for you and do that - there is nothing wrong with that especially given all you have said about the difficulties you have had recently.

Believe me I do understand the trial process, although not a trial lawyer myself I am a solicitor and I am married to a prosecutor.

My belief is that you should tell the truth. RW is right when she says that little good comes out of going to court but no good at all comes of not telling the truth

Exactly- little will come of going to court. Maybe you're right but if I do say what happened there may be a case. If I don't there probably won't and that will be the end of it for me.

The repercussions from this are going to be horrendous and I have had enough trauma in my life. I have a family who I adore and good friends who have stuck by me.

I do feel for my sister but I don't think she can blame her childhood for all of her problems. Surely there reaches a point where you have to take responsibility for your own happiness. That is what I have done and the best revenge I can have is to be happy not get even.

Can you tell your sister how you feel? And make suggestions - I agree, a court case will be traumatic and whilst it may give her 'closure', it won't change what happened and won't necessarily help her come to terms with it all. Counselling, support, people to talk to and validation may help though.

She knows how I feel. She mentioned wanting to do this some time ago and I said then I thought it was a bad ideas/wanted no part of it. She says she's been having counselling and on ADs etc. I think that will help her long term mental health more than doing this.

She sent me some very harsh and almost threatening texts last night which has worried me a little.

I know people on here have thought I'm being hard on her but they don't know me or my family and my sister is very volatile. She's an alcoholic, takes drugs, doesn't live with her children(they asked to live with there dad as she was always drunk/stoned). She hates not getting her own way. My dad saw her boys a few years ago through her ex(she had prevented him seeing them at all) and she found out. She turned up at his office and smashed it to bits with a baseball bat before hitting him round the head with it.

She obviously has some very serious issues she needs a great deal of help with. I hope she gets some resolution. You too.

Thankyou. Off to bed now, night night.Been a bit of a day- had to have our old cat put down today, had cancer. DD was distraught, bless her.