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Parenting

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11 & 13 year old not wanting to see their dad

6 replies

Fliss12345 · 29/06/2024 16:36

2 years since my initial post on here, I have tried my hardest to foster a positive relationship between my 3 children & their dad. However, his selfish, arrogant mannerisms & behaviour are now all too clear to them. They have never felt comfortable going away with him due to him getting too drunk 4 years ago on the last trip with him, but last weekend he took our then 12 year old daughter to France to see one of her favourite bands for a birthday treat. She was excited for this & it was only for 1 night & it would be just her & her dad. I thought it was a good opportunity for him to build trust again. Communication when she was away was brief, but she texted me goodnight from France & on the drive back. As soon as she arrived home I could tell by her face that something had happened. Her dad seemed fine & smiling. Turns out she had been groped in the audience at the gig by a man in his 40s or 50s who had stood behind her & felt her all over her front from lower thighs to her breasts. She was so shocked she didn't react but had a huge panic attack & had to be helped by medical staff. Upon leaving the gig she told her dad what happened so that he could tell me. He chose to not do this saying there was nothing I could do in England. He advised her to just text me goodnight. My poor daughter had 24 hours to deal with that on her own. I would have consoled her. He never reported the incident to security or police at the time.
Now he wants to see the kids this week but they ignore his texts. He is being very pushy about seeing them. My daughter is still recovering, she's more angry that her dad allowed this to happen than at what actually happened. Her little brother has been adamant that he does not want to see his dad for about a year now, this has 100% convinced him. Sorry for the long post, it's an upsetting situation. What rights do my children have? There's no court order in place.

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DracoDormiensNumquamTittilandum · 29/06/2024 16:38

If there's no court order then you just tell him they don't want to go and you don't send them.

Fliss12345 · 29/06/2024 16:52

DracoDormiensNumquamTittilandum · 29/06/2024 16:38

If there's no court order then you just tell him they don't want to go and you don't send them.

Thanks for replying. He will continue to pressure us to come to the house. Do you know if the courts would allow an 11 year old to cut contact with his dad? If his dad pursues it.

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CabbagePatchMama · 29/06/2024 20:01

I cut contact with my dad when I was 14 (18 years ago now). I told him myself I didn’t want to see him. Would it resonate better if your kids tell him?
I can’t imagine your daughter feels safe or protected with him now - understandably - and neither do her siblings. I can’t imagine any court forcing a child who doesn’t feel safe or comfortable with a parent to see them and tbh I think any court would find it irresponsible and not in her best interests to not have reported that incident at the time.

Fliss12345 · 30/06/2024 09:27

Thank you for your input & sharing your experience. That must have taken a lot of courage for you to cut off contact. The children have told him how they feel, but he refuses to listen to them. He just tries to aggressively argue his point & is only interested in getting his own way. He has already changed his story, saying he wanted to report it immediately but my daughter said no. He is a compulsive liar, he reconstructs situations in his head & then believes that's the truth. It's a tricky one to deal with.

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KurtShirty · 07/09/2024 12:50

My advice to you, having had a 12-year-old who refused to go to contact which meant I was in breach of a court order..

if he comes to the house when you’ve told him not to you are within your rights to call the police because this is harassment. If I was you, I would start by speaking with the police and find out whether they think you should seek a non-molestation order. They may also be willing to have a word with him and tell him to stay away and that if he wants to pursue this, he will have to go via the courts. That is what he will be told if he seeks advice on this from anyone, I think, so it’s kind of inevitable that it will go on his radar at some point if it isn’t already. The police can help you if there is a breach of the peace, they can come to your house and remove him if he’s refusing to leave your front door for example

if the kids have already told him they don’t want to see him, I would not put him in the position of having to do this again unless they want to.

in terms of a court order, the courts can’t make her go, they might give you a hard time about it, but ultimately all they could do is actually change residence and as frightening a prospect as that is, I don’t think you need to be worried about it. The longer it takes for it to go to court the more weight the courts would give to her wishes and feelings, she certainly rapidly approaching an age where they would say you can’t be expected to force her. I think you’re alright, but if he does take it to court, you might find you have a bit of a bumpy ride. I don’t think you’ve got much choice though. The fact that he hasn’t applied for one already is positive, for you to have got this far through child rearing, maybe he won’t do it.

if I was you, I would shield you kids as much as possible (don’t make them talk to him, don’t allow him to come to your house,), take the pressure off them as much as you can, and then in the background do everything you can to show you are working with dad so if he does make an application you are in a good position. You could request that he works with you and a highly qualified family therapist (eg ddp or similar) so that you can become better co-parents and reduce parental triangulation so that you can help the kids feel better. He will refuse of course. you could also approach anyone you think might be able to help work with your daughter who has had a horrible experience, even if she doesn’t want to take up the offer it will show that you take what’s happened to her seriously, and have sought support. If you can’t afford these things, you might be able to find some free resources that are equivalent

I’ve been through a decade of absolute hell in the family courts and I know how awful it can be sometimes but I do think you will be okay. If he does make an application feel free to PM me because I could advise further on some good resources

Good luck x

Fliss12345 · 12/09/2024 17:46

Thank you so much for your advice & wisdom & for taking your time to write such a comprehensive reply. It is very much appreciated. I have to speak to him soon & I will know more then, if he is to seek going to court for contact or not. I hope you have recovered from your court battles, very stressful I imagine.

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