News and views from The Backbone Collective which advocates for women and children who have experienced violence or abuse and who are enduring further harm from New Zealand's Family Court.
TRUE STORY: Backbone regularly hears from women who are accused of being mentally unwell during Family Court proceedings when they raise genuine concerns for the safety of their children while in the care of the abuser. Sometimes these women are portrayed as ‘unfit mothers’ and lose custody of their children. Here, a victim-survivor writes about the horror and heartbreak of losing her children into the full-time care of her abuser.
Read MoreTRUE STORY: A domestic violence survivor writes a letter to her young daughter - a letter her daughter will never see, but one that explains this mother’s heartbreak as she tries unsuccessfully to create a safe home for her daughter. She has endured three years of ongoing abuse from her ex-partner via the Family Court. She feels like her dreams of a new life have come crashing down at her feet.
Read MoreTRUE STORY: A domestic violence survivor so moved by the current collective grief and frustration about women being hurt and killed by men writes about her experience of abuse and her ongoing struggle to rebuild her life. She calls on New Zealanders to harness this collective grief, and stop normalising violence and abuse and start changing our attitudes and behaviour towards women.
Read MoreTRUE STORY: A former lawyer reflects on her personal experience of New Zealand’s Family Court after she and her children left her abusive ex-husband. Read on to find out what she experienced and why she thinks the current planned review of the Family Court will not work.
Read MoreA domestic violence survivor and Backbone member shares her open letter written to the Family Court Review Panel. While she explains how urgently changes are needed in the Family Court, she articulates her serious concern that the Review is not a safe way for women to share their experiences of the Family Court. Most particularly, the status of the Review means that all submissions are discoverable under the Official information Act (OIA) and this is likely to make survivors fearful of making submissions.
Read MoreTRUE STORY: A woman's outrage and despair at potentially having to financially reward her ex partner for his violence and abuse to her, her pets and her property throughout their relationship. Even though this man contributed nothing to their relationship except fear and violence he is seeking a huge cash payment from her via the Family Court.
Read MoreTRUE STORY: A mother's fight to keep her child safe cost her $40,000 and exposed an unbelievable Family Court response that she blames in part for NZ’s terrible domestic violence statistics. She shares her story here to show that the current Family Court system does NOT protect women and children after they leave violence. She is calling for a public outcry against women and children being mistreated in this way.
Read MoreA mother says she is still chained to her violent ex-partner despite leaving him a number of years ago. She appeals to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as she says the Family Court forces her and her child to subvert their own rights for her ex-partner's.
Read MoreKids around New Zealand are playing boardgames in support of sisters who are protesting about their lack of rights as children involved in the Family Court.
Read MoreKiwi sisters Bella and Gracie are going against orders from the Family Court, saying it contravenes UN legislature and are asking New Zealanders to support their protest campaign.
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