The lady has now been given partial Custody of her seven-year-old son. She feels that the Judge has given the message to everyone that spousal abuse is not an issue in a custody battle, and that children in situations like these can be raised to do the same as the abuser. She stated that she has taken many procedures to rectify the decision of the Judge; she has contacted the Canadian Traditional Council to have the Judge reviewed, and she has requested his resignation.

She is also working on an appeal to the Judge’s decision. This woman is not only fighting a battle for her son, but also preparing for the upcoming trial for the assault charges against her ex-husband. She has been fighting both of those situations for a long time and now she wants peace in her life. Her main concern is too her son, and she wants to enjoy her life with him and attempt to rectify what the Justice System has taken from them both.

The woman claims, however, that she has not tried to cut her son out of her ex-husbands life. She stated to the Judge that no matter what this man did to her, he was still her son’s father, and she told the Judge that she thinks both parents have a right to see their children.

This lady is only 28 years old and she has experienced more in life than most of us have had to live through. I find her to be a very strong person; she strives for the goodness in everything. I shed many tears while I was hearing her story about the issues that have taken place in her life. I feel so much heartache for this lady and all other women out there going through the same thing.

Can our Justice System not see that they are giving women of abuse little hope to be able to raise their children in a better home? Children need to be raised with good morals and taught right from wrong. They need to be kept from abusive situations, and taught that all forms of abuse are indeed wrong.

I encourage all of the victims of abuse out there: Never give up on life! This young lady has not given up, even though she felt like it many times. She believes that what happened to her has made her a very strong person and has given her a different outlook on life. She has inspired me, and I am sure that hearing her story has touched some hearts out there. I know she has touched mine.

Strive and fight for what you want to obtain in your life. Never let anyone tell you it is impossible to achieve anything you want. If you fight and work hard you can achieve anything in life. Reach for the stars and your dreams. Believe in yourself, and you can do anything!

Anyone interested in having me write about his or her personal experiences concerning the Justice System, or who would like their story to be heard, please feel free to contact me at journalistforthevoice27@yahoo.com

The woman in this article requests to remain anonymous for safety reasons.

The first day of custody court commenced on January 22, 2002 in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.

This lady and her mother gave their testimonies and described incidents of abuse which had taken place in the marriage, and how the child involved was treated by both parents.

There was evidence provided to the court which showed, that this woman’s ex-husband committed several counts of assault toward her, members of her family, and even his own family. Evidence was provided to the court that showed this man is very violent, cruel and cold-hearted.

This lady and her family were in great hope that the Judge would grant custody to her the mother, because she had given evidence which proved she was a wonderful mother and loves and cares for her son unconditionally.
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The court heard the testimonies of the opposing side on January 23, 2002.

They were unable to complete the court on that day, so the Judge asked the father to stay under an oath until he returned to court in February.

When court commenced in February 2002, the Judge made it known that he had already made a partial decision on this matter three days before the court commenced.

The testimonies of the opposing side and the closing arguments of both Lawyers were not even heard by the Judge. The Judge granted custody to the father and asked that the mother be given access to her son for the summer months.

When the Judge granted custody to the father, the mother told me she felt that the Justice System had failed her and doesn’t understand how this man had gained custody of her son.

She said, “maybe if this monster killed me, then the courts would see what type of man he really is, and I live every day in fear that my son will become his next victim.”

This woman stated that she was abused emotionally, physically and mentally by her ex-husband. She lives in constant fear every day even though she no longer resides in Newfoundland. Not only fear for herself, but mainly for her child.

In my personal opinion I believe that Justice wasn’t done in regards to this woman’s custody matter. I feel that it was unfair and that the decision made is incorrect. This woman has plenty of evidence to prove that this man is incapable of being a good father to the child.

How much does a woman have to endure before someone in the Justice System actually takes the time to listen and try and understand where they have been and what they are dealing with each day of their lives.

This was a very heartfelt and emotional article for me to write, but it was much more emotional and heartbreaking listening to this woman describe what she had to go through in the court room., and the final decision made by the Judge, devastated her when the father was granted custody of her child. This woman’s story has a right to be seen and heard, not only by members of the Justice system but nation wide.

It is such a horrible thought to think that there are so many more woman out there that are treated and has been treated unfair and unjust. Not only by our Justice Systems but also by many individuals.

To all the victims of abuse out there, “fight for your rights and never give up!” You have a right to be treated has a wonderful individual and you have a right to your own opinion.

I will continue to follow up on this story in the up coming months.

If you would like to give your opinions on this article and have them printed in my column, you can email them to me at: journalistforthevoice27@yahoo.com