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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

I cant believe the inlaws

16 replies

delicatematter · 06/07/2006 17:31

i have posted before about DH telling me recently that his uncle sexually abused him when he was a child well this is the latest development.

FIL has been off with DH phoning him up and asking him what his problem is, and DH went to see his brother yesterday and FIL has been slagging DH off to the family and there was a family BBQ on sunday and DH and me and the kids were not invited, DH brother said he asked why we werent there and he didnt get an answer.

WTF is going on with FIL and the inlaws, why are they punishing DH for saying that he was abused, its like they are siding with the uncle and being awful with DH, i just dont know what to say to him, i know he,s really upset but holds his feelings in, also one of our children has been ill this week and when DH told FIL he just said "oh" but when its one of his brothers kids FIL is straight round there.

I think its me, i know that they hate me as they see me as stuck up which im not, i just dont like living my life, dodging the authorties and my children arent always in trouble and they hate me for it.

OP posts:
Reginald · 06/07/2006 17:38

I don't think it is you, it sounds to me like his family are "closing ranks" because they can't deal with the idea of the abuse. I hope that your dh realises that it is not his fault or him that has the problem, it's the rest of his family. Is his brother sympathetic?

delicatematter · 06/07/2006 18:32

his brother hasnt mentioned the abuse to him, DH thinks that his brother could possibly have been abused as well, his other brother hasnt mentioned it either which i find very strange, his sister has told him to "get on with his life" and his dad pretends that he isnt seeing the uncle but we know he is.

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catsmother · 06/07/2006 18:57

I don't know what to say to you, except give you and your H a virtual hug.

His family are behaving appallingly. No-one wants to discover there's been abuse in the family but their shock/embarrassment/awkwardness/disgust or whatever is nothing compared to what H went through as a kid.

Quite what your alleged "stuck-up-ness" has to do with something that happened to him as a child and/or his brave decision to speak about it now I don't know. You could be the snobbiest woman in the world and it should have nothing to do with how H's family behave towards him over something like this.

I wouldn't condone them not wanting to speak about it, neither would I condone them burying their heads in the sand about it ..... though I understand this is quite a common response from close friends and relatives unable to come to terms with it themselves. However, on top of that, to snub him, not include him in fanily events and to make snide, insensitive remarks ..... well, that's downright nasty.

I can't begin to imagine what's making them behave like that. Even if they refused and/or didn't want to speak to H about "it", you'd have thought that if they cared for him they would be doing all they could to reassure him that his brave stance over the abuse has done nothing to alter their feelings for him.

Do you think there's any possibility that any of the family actually knew what was going on ? ... could that be why they're behaving like this now, because they felt guilty at doing nothing about it ?

It's easy for me to say I know but he really is better off without the lot of them - particularly his father. But I completely understand it's not so simple for H and he must feel heartbroken. And in your shoes, I would be beyond fury if my partner was being treated like this.

Does H, or you, feel able to directly challenge the family about the lack of support / snide remarks / snubs and so on ? I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to hold back and would take the risk that a rift would be created. After all, the alternative, of being "punished" would, to my mind, be pretty much a rift anyway.

Is there anyone in his family who's been sympathetic and may be able to throw some light on the others' reaction ..... though God knows, I'd be hard pressed to think of a justifiable excuse for this.

And anyone who continued to socialise with my abuser ...... well ..... that says it all. What excuse can there be for that ? Either H's dad thinks he's (H) a liar, or else he doesn't care. Poor H, they sound like a horrid family.

warthog · 06/07/2006 19:15

well said catsmother. so sorry this is happening delicatematter.

delicatematter · 06/07/2006 22:39

im beginning to get a very uneasy feeling about FIL, ive had it for a couple of weeks and ive not been able to put my finger on it but i think you,ve hit the nail on the head catsmother and i think that the way FIL reacted when DH told him, well he wasnt surprised lets just say.

FIl even said that he thinks uncle could have been abusing his own kids as well.

Something isnt right and its giving me the creeps, i know that something like this has the potential to split families but surely that would be a split between FIL and his siblings and not FIL taking uncles side.

Why does noone see this for what it is?
The uncle is a paedophile thats the truth, it must be horrible to think that of your brother but to take it out on your son and grandchildren is beyond me.

6 years ago i took a stand against DH family, which resulted in a huge huge argument between me and FIL, i stood my ground against him and we both said some nasty things to each other none of which i regret but for DH and the kids sake we called a truce, i think that this would be the last thing that DH would need right now but believe me i sit here looking at the phone imagining picking it up and telling him exactly what i think of him and his family.

All i can hope is that DH counsellor can help through this as well as me, he starts counselling sessions next week with a counsellor who specialises in working with victims of child abuse.

I know there are hard times ahead, but im sure that the love that me and DH have for each other and our kids will get us through this.

OP posts:
warthog · 07/07/2006 07:18

what's happened with the police? is your contact back from holiday yet?

delicatematter · 07/07/2006 11:46

no he,s back on monday and his sergeant has said that he doesnt start work until 8pm so he will get him to call us that night.

I was talking to DH last night and i said to him "what do you think is making your dad be like this?"
He said that he thinks the uncle has "got something on his dad " and that it must be pretty bad for him to not say anything to the uncle about DH.

That uneasy feeling is getting stronger.

OP posts:
NotActuallyAMum · 07/07/2006 13:15

Really hate to say this, and massive apologies if I'm speaking out of line, but you don't think FIL has been an abuser in the past too do you? I just can't think of anything else that would make him behave the way he has about something so awful

So sorry for you and your DH. You sound like a lovely couple and I'm sure you're both strong enough to get through this. He's lucky to have you to support him

controlfreaky · 07/07/2006 13:22

agree with what's been said on here already. just wanted to add if fil had any idea / suspicion / knew what was going on when poor dh was a child then his failure to act / protect him make him in part responsible for the abuse / continuation of the abuse. sorry if i'm going too far but if i had your worries i wouldnt want him left alone with my children. his attitude sucks.

delicatematter · 07/07/2006 18:03

yes, i am getting the feeling that FIL knew or maybe even , i cant say it just in case DH reads this but you know what i mean.

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warthog · 07/07/2006 19:36

it certainly sounds like there is more to this than is apparent. what is his mum's role in all of this?

delicatematter · 07/07/2006 20:48

his mum left the 4 children when they were small.

DH got back in touch with her last year after 15 years of not seeing her but it didnt work out, she,s not a nice person and doesnt feel any guilt for leaving her children in fact, she blames them for not seeing enough of her

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Charlottesweb · 09/07/2006 19:51

I hope your H can get this sorted out. As has been said before, if his dad doesn't think his son is more importnat than his brother, then it's for your H to revalue the relationship.. and I hope you and he can find the love and the strength to get through the next few hard months (((hug)))

SSSandy · 09/07/2006 20:11

Wonder if FIL and his brother were abused themselves as children?

I would be so angry for dh's sake that I would probably completely blow my top, so sorry no decent advice to offer. How does dh want to tackle things?

delicatematter · 10/07/2006 10:42

DH went to see his dad yesterday, against my advice, he hasnt seen him for 3 weeks and DD had to have a procedure this week which wasnt very nice but no phonecall or visit from FIL.

FIL said nothing to DH about the uncle, DH said he wasnt very pleased to see DH and when DH asked why he hadnt been invited to the family BBQ last week FIL stuck up for DH sister and said that he didnt know there was a BBQ which was a lie because we know that he went.

DH came home quite upset and has said thats it, im not going down any more, i have realised now that he,s not arsed about me or my family and im just upsetting myself everytime i go down there.

So we shall see, the PC is back on duty tonight so im hoping that we will get a phonecall or a visit and DH starts his counselling tonight.

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mumandlovingit · 10/07/2006 18:21

(angry)
My deepest sympathy for you both and your family at this time.I cant believe how his family are acting towards him and you all.Abuse is a hard subject to admit and he needs support and help, not their attitude.They really are not worth bothering with, im sorry but thats the truth.(sad) i honestly feel that somewhere along the line, the abuse was known about and ignored/covered up and either they have no heart at all in their body or they knew about it to start with.Their attitude and actions are unforgivable and I would think seriously before letting my chidren near any of them.your husband needs to think seriously about whether he wants/needs these people in his life.its hard to break away from family members but there doesnt seem much to be breaking away from im afraid.where is the love and support and reassurance that he needs right now? it doesnt sound like hes getting any of it from them.he's lucky to have you and your children to support him and get him through all this.good for you for feeling angry towards them.good luck with the counselling.i hope that he can move forward with his life with you and the children.i may be out of line for saying this but with what ive read, if it was me, the future certainly wouldnt be involving the rest of his so called family. good luck with the future.

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