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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Could DP be abusing his daughter?

131 replies

NameMe · 24/02/2011 08:49

Ok I'm going to lay it all on the line here. I'm leaving my DP in two weeks time and since this became official, the cloud in my head is starting to clear and I'm becomming concerned with what is emmerging. That is, signs that he perhaps has or is abusing his DD.

Please just bare with me because my head is like spaghetti. I'll try and be brief and concise. His daughter is 13 and has continuously wet the bed, apparantly right from when she was potty trained, she has never been completely "dry". She has had numerous hospital appointments but they can never find anything wrong, they just say she'll grow out of it but this shows no sign of happening. More disturbing is the fact that when she sleeps out, it NEVER happens. She wets the bed here almost every night yet last year she went on a week long residential trip and never wet the bed once. When she stays at friend's houses she never wets the bed. When she has friends over it never happens either. I should've been suspitious about this to start with BUT the problem was he was never alone with her. There was never really any time when he could be doing something to her because I would've heard or seen SOMETHING. But I never did. I would never normally accuse anyone of this but something is not right and I've been thinking this for a while now but I've not done anything because I honestly cannot see HOW he would manage it iyswim? I'm always around. But I would be lying if I said I didnt have any concerns about him at all. He is a strange person, lies about the most stupid things, constantly acting secretive and odd. I found porn on his computer last year, some of it was quite "young" barely legal stuff. I pulled him up on it. The "young" stuff he reckoned just popped up with the other pages.
I don't know what to beleive because SHE acts wierd too. When she walks past him she strokes his head etc, it almost seems a bit too intimate or maybe I'm being paranoid? She's constantly asking him for hugs and asking him to "go and see her" in her bedroom and when he does, they shut the bedroom door now I'm not for one minute suggesting she is instigating anything but I know she craves attention and I'm concerned that she perhaps see's ANY attention from her dad as being positive? He almost seems scared of her too, like she has some kind of a hold on him. For instance she has a rabit which is NOT looked after and the poor thing is neglected. We decided we would rehome it. She kicked off. Later that night he was in her room, door closed etc etc and when he came back down he'd TOTALLY changed his mind of rehoming the rabbit. Now I know this could be innocent whinging playing a part but something is telling me I've been a fool and something is wrong.
As I say I'm leaving so I wanted to put this out now to you and get "feedback" on whether I am being paranoid/dillusional etc. I was abused as a child so maybe this is clouding my judgement?
I can't help thinking even if he ISN'T doing anything now because I'm here, was he when it was just the two of them? is that why he's looking forward to me moving out? I'm really hoping you all come on now and tell me I'm talking shite and being paranoid.

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 24/02/2011 08:51

Can you talk to her? How do you get on with her in general? Will you continue to see her when you hvae moved out?

NameMe · 24/02/2011 08:53

Probably not stealth because she see's me as taking her dad away from her. She avoids me at all costs and won't speak to me unless she has to.

OP posts:
ajandjjmum · 24/02/2011 08:54

Does she live with you full time?

NameMe · 24/02/2011 08:57

Yes she does and she hardly see's her mother. They have a very strained relationship and she only see's her because she has to. Their contact involved her mother picking her up at 1pm every other saturday and bringing her back by 5pm the same day. I did speak to his ex once and she said he was wierd. She has a much closer relationship with her son (not his) and it's almost as if she doesn't see the daugher as being hers. It's all so strange. This is what makes me wonder if even when they were married, did DP keep the girl to himself and prevent her from bonding properly with her mother?

OP posts:
ellasmum1 · 24/02/2011 08:57

I think you need to speak to her if possible.
You need to be extremely careful.
Sounds more like shes just a spoilt daddys girl to me who has him wrapped round her little finger.
Personally i'd just walk away.

RudeEnglishLady · 24/02/2011 08:58

Call the NSPCC. See what they think - bet they'll have heard this kind of thing before and will know what to do.

I'd steer clear of saying anything to him or her until you have moved out completely. If it gets back to him he could go absolutely crazy and hurt you or your things.

I agree that it does sound a bit funny although I have no idea whether this indicates incest.

NameMe · 24/02/2011 09:00

See I'd think it was just a case of being a spoilt daddy's girl but the bed wetting?? If it wasn't for that, I'd maybe assume I was just being paranoid but why does it only happen when she's at home if it's a genuine medical problem?

One thing I find interesting in it all too was that DP hates his own mother and really seems to resent her yet he gets on ok with his dad. Co-incidence that his daughter also seems to hate her own mother?? I know he has slagged her mother off to her, he used to do it all the time and often encourages her to say bad things about her. It's like he's delibrately trying to make her hate her.

OP posts:
traceybath · 24/02/2011 09:00

I'm pretty sure you've posted about this quite a few times in the past (apologies if I've got the wrong poster) but you've received much good advice about speaking to the NSPCC for advice.

I'd actually be very wary of talking to her about this directly as you don't want to lead her in terms of questions.

notpythagoras · 24/02/2011 09:01

Phone StopItNow on 0808 - 1000 - 900. It is completely confidential and you will talk to an expert. They are a charity specifically for people to talk about this kind of worry. You can talk all of this through and they will help you to get your thoughts straight and will advise you what, if anything, to do next. They are brilliant.

Read their stuff about remaining anonymous: you mustn't give away identifying information (like your address) because if they CAN identify you and feel that a child is at risk then they have a duty to report. They will talk you through all that as they WANT people to be able to talk openly through anonymity.

Here is their statement:

Confidentiality Statement
Our telephone Helpline offers a confidential service for people seeking advice and support. This means that when contacting us you do not have to give any identifying information such as address, telephone number or last name.

However if you do give us identifying information and we are concerned that a child is at risk or a criminal offence has been committed which the police may not be aware of, we will have to pass on that information to the appropriate agencies.

NameMe · 24/02/2011 09:04

See I've called nspcc before but I didn't find them much help to be honest, they basically just told me to call the social services but the doubts in my head stopped me. For instance she once came bursting in the front door stinking of pee and jumped straight in the shower. Turns out she'd wet herself at school. Now this completely blew out my theory that it only happens at home but it's so rare that it happens anywhere else.

Thanks for the number notpythagoras, I'll try that one when the kids have gone out.

OP posts:
FioFio · 24/02/2011 09:04

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iskra · 24/02/2011 09:04

Re bedwetting, I've read about children who deliberately stay awake all night in order to not wet the bed when away from home.

OneFishTwoFish · 24/02/2011 09:06

Are you the boxroom nutter? Apols if not but I'm sure I've read this many many times before.

NameMe · 24/02/2011 09:06

Dp wet the bed until he was 15. Perhaps it does run in the family?

This is what I mean, so many doubts stop me from acting on any suspicion but I can't help feeling that the pair or them behave oddly. But perhaps that is just bitterness of the whole situation coming out?

OP posts:
NameMe · 24/02/2011 09:08

OneFish, I just want to clear up this one last thing before I leave. It would be easy to ignore and say it isn't my problem anymore but that wouldn't be the right thing to do either, would it?

I'm not asking "is my DP a prick" etc, I'm asking am I being paranoid about this? should I do something before I leave? Am I wrong? It seems too bigger deal just to ignore.

OP posts:
FourFortyFour · 24/02/2011 09:09

What OneFish said but without the nutter bit.

FioFio · 24/02/2011 09:09

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Rannaldini · 24/02/2011 09:10

you must do as you see fit

but

this never occurred to you whilst you were in a relationship with the man?
only now that you are leaving

NameMe · 24/02/2011 09:12

No it occured to me before but I could never work out HOW he'd do it which stopped me investigating it further.
She has had various medicines etc from the hospital but none of them do any good. Then again, DP does insist on making her a "bedtime cup of tea" which she drinks immediately before sleeping.

OP posts:
FioFio · 24/02/2011 09:17

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thenightsky · 24/02/2011 09:22

I remember you posting about this before too. Do you have your own DC?

FourFortyFour · 24/02/2011 09:23

What made you think of this as most people would not assume the child's father is abusing them if they wet the bed. There could be many more reasons why she is dry at other places. Has she started her periods yet?

QuintessentialShadows · 24/02/2011 09:31

My first thought was also "box room" when I read your op. I am glad you are leaving.

I am not sure if your op this time was maybe inspired by the other "wetting" thread we see in active convos at the minute, but these kind of issues seem to sweep us in "waves".

Forgive me if you are not this poster at all.

PeterAndreForPM · 24/02/2011 09:32

Can I just ask you why you have such a massively glaring inconsistency in your posting?

You say more than once you didn't believe anything could have happened because there was "no opportunity" because you were "always there" and there would be no chance to get up to anything

then you recount in detail how he regularly "went into her room and closed the door" and "she invited him to her room" and you obviously were kept out at these times

which is it ????

You need to be very clear on this before you speak to or approach anybody

FioFio · 24/02/2011 09:41

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