Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Relationships

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

H left kids on my doorstep knowing I wasn't in

227 replies

CookiesNookie · 10/08/2015 01:12

I don't even know how to begin but I'm still fuming almost 3 nights later.
I started a thread last week struggling to get through the days since I split from my husband 7 weeks ago after discovering his affair.
Here is the link www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/2440840-6-weeks-since-Ive-discovered-his-cheating-how-do-I-go-on
So the next day he turned up almost 3 hours late picking the girls up. Initially I wanted to give in and not meet with him for a meal as I just couldn't trust that he will keep it up.
He messaged me again after picking them up apologised for being late and numerous excuses and asked for one more chance to meet us later for that meal to show the girls we can get along.
We went to one of the girls favourite places as their is a park they can play at. For everyone else we probably looked like a normal couple. It was so hard I really struggled but I could see my babies were having fun and I persevered. We "chatted" about he girls and DD1's current body changes at age 7. Discovered she had hair under her arms and not sure what exactly I need to do to remove as being mixed race especially I didn't want her to have dark underarm pits like mine from shaving since age 12.
After our meal they wanted to go to the bigger side of the park to have a proper play. I stayed for 40 mins and said my goodbyes to them to start my walk back to my house to get changed to go to the gym.
He was fully aware of my plans as I mentioned it to him the night before and at the time that I kissed them goodbye.
Walked home quickly got changed and left. I then got a call from him to tell me to turn around and collect the girls from the house. I was a little confused and asked him what he meant and he said he has plans tonight and I have to turn around as they are all at the house but he is on his way to his new place. I of course thought he was just joking and demanded he put them on the phone or I walk to his work and embarrassed him. He just said "Oh well Social Services win" I stopped someone in the road to confirm with him on the phone that I wasn't near the house and asked him to put my kids oh the phone. He works not very far from the house.
In total I was away from the house almost 20 minutes by then. I then got a text message from my neighbour/friend who has kids similar ages telling me that she has my girls and she wasn't 100% sure what's happened but it seems like he left them on my doorstep.

I was of course fuming by then. When I got to hers she explained that they were on their way out for her sons swimming lessons and she was just upstairs when the doorbell went and DD1 aged 7 was still crying telling them that her dad dropped her off at the house and drove off. She asked DD2 age 4 to stay by the house whilst she crossed the road to see if neighbour was back from the their holiday.
Our houses are terraced houses with our front door almost on the road. Steps up to the front door. The opposite side of the road is different and friend isn't immediate neighbour she is 100yards down the road with her own garage and front door on the side meaning you can't see her door. She needs to stand on the pavement to see mine. So for that time my DD2 would have been totally on her own in floods of tears whilst DD1 went looking for help. Friend said that she was just stood crying by the door and they took her and rest of the bags to their house. Her husband waited around for a bit to see if H was coming back at all or hovering around to see if they were safe or for that matter if I came back. He of course didn't.
My first instinct is to protect my kids and therefore not ever send them to their dads again. I am not sure f phoning the police or Social Services would have disrupted their lives even more and I genuinely don't think I could have dealt with that as well. Have I done the right thing? Will this come back to me because I didn't contact the authorities.
He never called even after to make sure I had the girls. He sent a message 24hrs later "So what happens now? When can I see my girls?" I of course told him to fuck off.
I genuinely thought he would at least want to make things as simple and stress free for the kids as possible.

OP posts:
Lweji · 11/08/2015 21:17

Maybe you should tell him that you have been frantically looking for them since he left them.
Or that you thought they were with him as they were not there when you got home.

YonicScrewdriver · 11/08/2015 21:22

Like Lweji, I'd be tempted to say something like "you can see them by driving past, they're on the doorstep where you left them"

But don't!

Hellionandfriends · 11/08/2015 21:22

Give him the details of that centre you mentioned earlier in the thread. The one that could offer supervised meetings. The most important thing is that you keep the children safe. His feelings are secondary.

Text him 'You need to go through the x centre. I have a duty of care to ensure the kids are safe. You abandoning them was very serious'

Jux · 11/08/2015 21:25

This all sounds excellent. Tomorrow the police and SS will know that the children are safe with you and they can say that they have no concerns regarding that, while your xh will have a small query by his name.

Keep a diary for contact, what is arranged and what actually happens. As said above, papertrail.

This will be helpful should you need to go to Court about Supervised contact.

Hellionandfriends · 11/08/2015 21:26

Keep it neutral and factual and impersonal

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 12/08/2015 12:06

Hold fast, OP - you're under no obligation to answer his texts, emails or calls. Just ignore them all for now, until you've had further info from the police.

sammasati · 12/08/2015 12:21

Screen shot the texts and email them to yourself and to the police, you should have been given a police incident reference number (put this in the email header when emailing to police). Keep this file updated, you may need a paper trail for the future. I would also contact the health visitor, gp, child care places/school (with school/preschool, let them know that there has been a child protection issue regarding your xh, and that you are seeking supervised contact with him only, ask them to inform you should he try to remove them from the premises. Give the school the police ref no) and if you can a solicitor.

I would ask so let ss know that you have logged this with these other agency's.

I would also ask to for a counselling referal so that you have some support in dealing with your emotional health at this point in time. He is very likely to escalate his abuse towards you and you may need a safe place to help you stay strong.

So sorry that you and your wee girls are having to deal with this (((hug))).

sammasati · 12/08/2015 12:25

Oh and yes inform him that you are blocking his phone number and that he can email you for communication pertaining to the dc. Make sure that his emails go to a separate folder that you can read in your own time. He no longer has the right to have instant access to you

Hissy · 12/08/2015 14:13

Ignore his messages. He wants you to say you're not allowing him access so he can (in his little head) go on the attack legitimately. He wants to be able to shriek that "she won't let me see my kidzzzzzz"

Don't give him the satisfaction. He's clever enough to abandon 2 little children in a street, he's bright enough to work out the consequences.

Inertia · 12/08/2015 15:08

Of course you are under no obligation to respond. However, to demonstrate that you are not stopping contact through spite, it might be worth responding to his question about when he can see the children with a statement that the decision about that now rests with the relevant child protection agencies.

CookiesNookie · 12/08/2015 19:21

Update:
Police offers came out today asked me a few questions said they are referring it further before confirming anything but should they need a statement it will more likely be from my neighbour who took the girls in and confirmed with her if she was okay to do so.
She said that they will be in touch with him to give him a warning so that he is aware that what he did is not on. She will contact me once she's been in touch with him. She also said ideally she would love to just turn up at his work but will contact him and arrange to see him.
He just emailed me the following and read me me me!!!

So can you please explain what you are doing to me and my children???

What are you doing? When can I see my I kids? You cannot ignore me?

At no point did he ever admit or apologise to what he's done.

OP posts:
rumbleinthrjungle · 12/08/2015 19:44

you cannot ignore me?

Um.... yes you can? Absolutely you can.

AyeAmarok · 12/08/2015 19:47

Text back:

"I am taking all reasonable steps to safeguard my children, as any proper parent would."

CamelHump · 12/08/2015 19:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FeckTheMagicDragon · 12/08/2015 19:51

I'd suggest to not respond or engage - it's only been a few days since they last saw him. Wait until the police have been in touch with him. He will try and up the anti - do not bite!

Offred · 12/08/2015 19:54

Interesting use of the question mark after 'you cannot ignore me'! Implies "can she?"

I wouldn't respond until he has heard from the police tbh.

eddielizzard · 12/08/2015 19:55

i would not respond. i would only talk to him through a 3rd party. his manipulative games are disgusting, using little children - so abhorrent, that he has forfeited any right to anything from you.

contact centre sounds good.

are they asking for him?

Offred · 12/08/2015 19:56

When he has heard from the police I would simply give him the details of the contact centre and how to arrange contact through them. Nothing more and nothing less. Whatever you do do not get into any of the "why are you doing this to me and the kids?!" Stuff.

He knows why this is happening.

sleeponeday · 12/08/2015 20:00

Send him an email stating that he endangered the children, and that he now needs to seek legal advice if he wishes to pursue supervised contact. When he has concrete proposals for a contact centre, so you can be sure the kids are safe, his solicitor can contact you. I'd state clearly that you had hoped for an amicable co-parenting relationship of mutual trust for the children's benefit, and you are disappointed that he has chosen to act in a way that absolutely prevents this.

He was trying to wind you up. Walk away, but make sure you establish what happened at an early stage. And do NOT allow him unsupervised contact - if you do, he can argue in court that you're just being vengeful, rather than genuinely concerned for their wellbeing.

If nothing else, you can delay unsupervised contact (if he bothers to pursue this, he will end up with it - the most atrocious parents do) for a year or so. By which time the kids will be that much older, and that much safer. I wouldn't want this man responsible for my 4 year old.

So desperately sorry you are dealing with this. Life is not fair.

sleeponeday · 12/08/2015 20:01

I'd also add that any further attempts to contact you directly will be unwelcome, and as he has been told so, it will constitute harassment. All further contact must be via his solicitor.

Then if he contacts you, report it. And don't respond to anything, under any circumstances.

Flowers
Offred · 12/08/2015 20:10

If you feel you need to reply now (though I would advise against it as it will give him a heads up for when he faces the police) you could say "I have taken advice from the proper authorities on how contact should be arranged in light of what you did the last time you had the DDs. The authorities will be in touch with you shortly themselves. I do not wish to have further contact with you, and at this stage, there is no reason for you to contact me at all. If you would like to see the children this will need to be arranged through [contact centre details]. Be aware that I will no longer read or respond to texts, emails, phone calls, or any other attempt to contact me made by you, as this is now unecessary. Should you attempt to further contact me I will consider it harassment and it will be reported to the police."

Hissy · 12/08/2015 20:20

I spent 10 years with a twat, allow me to translate the email he sent you OP.

It says:
Me, me, me me, me, me me, me, me me, me, me me, me, me me,

NOTE the indignant. He absolutely thinks he has done nothing wrong at all and his actions are justified.

HE IS A FUCKING LOON!

Do not engage at all. Let him stew in his own foul piss. He'll get more hysterical, let him. It'll only help you show how unstable and untrustworthy he is.

Hissy · 12/08/2015 20:21

The police will tell him what's what, and you can ask them to tell him to leave you all alone.

FeckTheMagicDragon · 12/08/2015 20:24

Offereds point about giving him a heads up is really important. How you behave now will set the tone - not only for the divorce - but for his ongoing relationship with his daughters. And with you as their mother. It's been, what? 5 days and he's already bleating and gearing up to be the poor hard done by father. Don't engage until they have been in contact with him. I know the weekend is coming up - if they have not been in touch by then send him a short message telling him you have plans for the weekend with the DC and will be in touch shortly have to arrange suitable contact. Do not get drawn into any conversations. One short reasonable text and then radio silence until you are ready.

98percentchocolate · 12/08/2015 20:32

Another reason for not getting in contact before the police have spoken to him; forewarned is forearmed. You don't want to give him the time to make up an excuse, delete text messages, etc.

Swipe left for the next trending thread