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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

Please help - just found out FIL is a paedophile

665 replies

anon4 · 10/02/2008 15:44

I am in a desperate situation. Have just found that FIL is a convicted paedophile and I am 5 months pregnant. The whole of DH's family is deeply dysfunctional. I am already (within days of this shock) being put under outrageous pressure from DH's entire extended family to forgive and help FIL's attempts at rehabilitation. However my absolute gut instinct is to have absolutely nothing further to do with them and not to let our future daughter anywhere near them. I couldn't forgive myself if anything would happen, and I put mis-placed 'family loyalty' above the safety of our daughter. My protective maternal instincts are in overdrive. DH is split, and wants to see if we can work on compromises such as allowing them to see her with us present. I cannot even stomach that, and don't want her to be near these people. We are both in deep distress. I don't know what to do: follow my instincts but will bust up my DH's family, or bow to pressure to allow them some sort of access to our daughter?

OP posts:
scardycat · 12/02/2008 19:07

My god please, this is becoming silly.

I love my kids, as do all of you on here, man or woman! and some of you have had to carry incomprehensible pain and memories that i can only imagine, but you all want the same thing, to protect your own as you see fit.

strength is the one thing you all have in common, born out of a childhood filled with hurt but dont use that strength on another who has felt what you have.

Op needs your advice that can only come from someone who knows the truth about abuse. the tricks the gameplaying the denial by family.

Now please dont slice me and dice me!!

PaulaYatesbiggestFan · 12/02/2008 20:54

Pan i must add this to what you ahve said

I reported my abuse 14 months ago

within an hour two burly policemen were in my front room ( 7pm at night)

next morning child protection rang me

within days i had been visited by them and the ball was rolling

weeks later abuser was charged

9 months later convicted

my account of the abuse was 'minor' my memories 'foggy' witness evidence 'none' and most importantly the whole thing was 25 years old....

no one ever made me feel anything but 'at ease' 'trustworthy' and most importantly 'believed'

I was lucky to obtain a very unexpected conviction but i think my days in court brought my wits and emotions to the fore and despite very odd twists of the law ( ie one cannot discuss ones case with ones own legal team not even for a minute despite the abuser having sat for months with shit hot team preparing a case ) my case was successful

DESPITE the ruling - i found the whole process of reporting the abuser - taking action against him as an adult etc etc HUGELY cathartic, healing and liberating

One swallow does not a summer make BUT my experience of the british police and their handling of the case was sensitive,thoughtful and caring. Not a bit what i had been led to believe i would get

I know this digresses from the op but i thought whilst we were talking - if someone was in a dilemma about what to do - this might help

sorry to ramble - i continue to heal myself

PaulaYatesbiggestFan · 12/02/2008 20:57

that whole essay was in response to pans comment about reports going down in last ten years

a year prior to my phonecall to my local police - i had sat for hours in a solicitors office ( she never charges me) and basically she had said to me 'dont bother' ' too hard to get convictions your word against his'

not so - have courage

mrsmalaprop · 13/02/2008 17:14

Thanks for asking the question, Welliemum and thank you everyone else for your brave responses. I am a primary school teacher with a class of 30 and it saddens, shocks and disturbs me that the chances are that at least 1 or 2 are being, or have been, abused if the stats are correct.

It makes me want to cry.

Is there anything a teacher can do to encourage a child to disclose this stuff? I would hate to think I have children suffering in silence and a lot of them have tragic enough lives as it is (and that's just the ones I know about).

MrsMacaroon · 13/02/2008 20:19

PaulaYatesbiggestFan- well worth mentioning and welldone! Very inspirational...x

welliemum · 14/02/2008 01:37

I've tried to summarise the comments people made on my post into a list which I want to really drum into my head.

So, potential warning signs:

  • someone singling out a child for special attention, isolating them from siblings
  • someone making inappropriate remarks about a child
  • a troubled child (who might be boisterous and acting out or shy and insecure)
  • a very young child might not know or feel that it is wrong, but the relationship might appear different from normal adult/child
  • a child who doesn't want to be left alone with a person
  • not happy to receive gifts from a person
  • tells you it is going on
  • sexualised behaviour
  • avoids being at home

Things to do:

  • always believe
  • never tell children they are ?supposed? to love someone if they express a dislike
  • be aware that an abuser can use opportunities even when other adults are nearby ? not necessarily alone in the house.

The website Wisteria linked to has some very similar points, but they seem more aimed at professionals rather than parents.

Have I missed any out? Thank you again to those who answered - I hope I don't sound patronising when I say I'm really grateful and I can only imagine the courage it must take to write about these things.

anon4 · 14/02/2008 05:52

Dear all - sorry for not posting too much - work full-time, and health of unborn daughter, tears at 3am, and mine and DH's emotional welfare were priority for last few days. I am overwhelmed by your amazing response (am new to MN).Have already decided that any contact with FIL is never going to happen (and thanks for advice on not giving photos, hadn't considered that).

The issue about MIL is trickier, as I feel deeply mistrustful of her judgement, especially as she obviously doesn't know her husband, stays with him out of her own vulnerability, is in denial about other areas of their life, and has pretty severe mental health issues herself - has to take anti-psychotic drugs). However DH has always had a close attachment to her (he speaks to her every day) due to her vulnerability and she has incredible capacity to make him feel guilty. It would devastate her to not see her first grandchild, but I don't trust her not to use our child to try and make her husband feel better, 'reformed', trusted. Maybe MIL should have access with DH, in a public place only? I don't think I can bear to see her when she choses to stay with a paedophile. But I have another 3 and half months before I have to make decisions about that.

I feel rather in limbo as am still waiting for obsteric counselling appointment (was told it would be within a week, but one and half weeks later have not heard anything). Really want to talk through issues first with 'neutral' person, get thoughts and arguments straight, then act on both emotion and instinct but also reason and evidence. Then have full and frank discussion with DH about how I feel about his mum - going to be very hard, and scary. Have already told DH this is what I want to do, and in the meantime she is not allowed to contact me.

Had dreadful pressure from her immediately after the shock of being told to confirm we would allow them access (as he was so terribly sorry and was going through rehab). She also tried to prevent me going to court to hear the evidence against him. When I attended court (telling her I was only there to listen to all the evidence) I deliberately turned up at the very last minute to avoid seeing them, but unfortunately still ran into them. She gave me a hug, and (get this) said "go and give him a kiss, it'll make him feel better. he needs to know you love him". I still feel sick thinking about it - her total lack of judgment and appreciation about how I was feeling towards her vile husband. I can just imagine her saying that to our daughter.

Have also had pressure from other family members, including one from an aunt telling me not to be so 'judgmental'. She has nothing to risk - she has to just turn up at the odd family occasion and her two boys are both grown up. As one poster said, the family need us to cooperate to keep going as if nothing is wrong. I do feel stronger in my resolve not to allow access and be a 'tool in their rehabilitation' (as another poster put it). Thanks for your support and advice. I have especially found the posts from survivors of abuse brave and inspiring and I thank you all for your posts.

PS - feel wonderful about our daughter, she is jumping and twirling in my belly, and it delights me beyond words. xxx

OP posts:
monkeytrousers · 14/02/2008 08:47

Good luck. Stay strong.

MrsMacaroon · 14/02/2008 14:21

you have your head screwed on....I'm sure you'll sort this out so you're satisfied that your daughter is protected. I would urge your husband to have some kind of therapy/counselling also so he can be strong enough emotionally to support you and his daughter through this. You need to work out what you're happy with, access-wise together.
Please try not to feel pressurised by any other family members- I have gone through this myself and been shocked and surprised by seemingly intelligent, reasonable relatives who don't want to 'rock the boat' by taking a firm stand (I can't believe your MIL asked you to kiss your FIL!!! Unbelievable. She is a classic co-dependent by the way).
On a positive note- The fact that your urge to protect your child has over-taken your fear of confronting your inlaws and making uncomfortable decisions is a great sign that you're going to be a brilliant mum. If my mum had similarly protected me I would have had a much happier, more secure life.

Squirdle · 14/02/2008 15:20

Anon4, you sound incredibly level headed and I feel you have made totally the right decision for you and your daughter.

I just wanted to say something regarding your MIL's decision to stay with and protect your FIL. I have thought about this many times as my grandmother did exactly the same when my grandfather was arrested. At the time I couldn't believe anyone would choose to stay with someone who had done that to their grandchild, but me being me have tried to see it from her point of view.

My grandmother is now in her 80's, when he was arrested she was in her 70's. She had spent her whole life with this man, had children with him and I can imagine her world was shattered when she discovered what he had been doing. I suppose to protect herself she went along with the 'let's pretend it never happened' thing as the other option would have been to have her world turned upside down just as she should have been settling down to a nice reitrement. I can understand how difficult it must have been for her - totally. Maybe your MIL is doing the same.

This doesn't excuse the fact that she didn't stand by me and still refuses to put certain family members straight about it despite him committing suicide 10 years ago (the best thing he ever did for me imo)

Oops I have to go and pick up DS2, I will come back in a bit >>>>>>>>

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 14/02/2008 15:27

anon

a lot of my family stood by my abuser
words like 'he is still my father don't you understand' resonated through my head

no i dont understand

luckily professional people ALL warned me this would happen and told me it was the norm

you sound very very sane - grounded and 'right' in the way you are approaching this

stay strong and use this thread to come back to and help you know you are doing the right thing.

imo sexual abuse and abusers friends and family sticking by them is the wierdest most incomprehensible thing i have had to deal with as an adult

i never thought people would choose a convicted paedophile over me

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 14/02/2008 15:27

anon

a lot of my family stood by my abuser
words like 'he is still my father don't you understand' resonated through my head

no i dont understand

luckily professional people ALL warned me this would happen and told me it was the norm

you sound very very sane - grounded and 'right' in the way you are approaching this

stay strong and use this thread to come back to and help you know you are doing the right thing.

imo sexual abuse and abusers friends and family sticking by them is the wierdest most incomprehensible thing i have had to deal with as an adult

i never thought people would choose a convicted paedophile over me

Squirdle · 14/02/2008 16:31

Sorry about that, I'm back now.

I suppose what I am trying to say is that while I will never forgive my grandmother for standing by him and pretending he was something wonderful, I can also see and kind of understand why she did. But because she did what she did, I will never allow her to be alone with my children as I don't trust her to protect them.

I know I could never stay with someone who did those things, but then I have been on the recieving end so I know how truly horrible it is.

I think if you feel it is right, then your MIL should see your daughter, but only under supervised conditions. If she is not supervised she will take her to see your FIL and that cannot happen. He chose do what he did and so now will have to suffer the consequenses. He won't have changed. I don't believe it when people like that say they have changed. How can they suddenly decide not to do what they do.

Anyway, anon4, you sound like a very strong person and you will be a fantastic mum. Your little girl is very lucky x

colacubes · 15/02/2008 16:08

Bravo anon4, you are the greatest gift this beautiful little girl could wish for, a mother who loves her and protects her. I wish you all the very best of luck, stand tall, and be brave, and I have no doubt your little girl will have a wonderful childhood thanks to your strength, its a wonderful thing to be a mother, unbounding love and joy, I'm very proud of you!!

Trolleydolly71 · 24/02/2008 13:38

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