Home Fam-Court Dr Freda Briggs on Child Abuse and the Family Court

Dr Freda Briggs on Child Abuse and the Family Court

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(photo Tricia Watkinson)

[The late Dr. Freda Briggs AO wrote to Minister Jennifer Rankine on 5 March 2011, about Child abuse and the Family Court. Below is her letter.]

Dear Minister Rankine

I had the misfortune to be present in the Family Court yesterday when Justice Dawe refused to return the children to their mother despite:

  • five psychiatric and psychological assessments showing that she is not mentally ill (as had previously been alleged),
  • two recent allegations of child rape by the father supported by physical evidence such as anal bleeding and the children’s own statements to police, their mother and maternal grandmother and the court appointed contact supervisor.
  • your letter indicating that Families SA was not concerned about the mother’s mental health and she is not considered to be a danger to the children.

Families SA’s legal representative failed to get that message through to the court and when the judge announced that there would be no change to the mother’s contact, she was heard to say, “Well done” to the father’s lawyer and Independent Children’s lawyer who were sitting beside her.

How can it possibly be in a child’s best interest (at ages …[younger than 6]) to be snatched by seven SWAT dressed federal police officers carrying guns and capsicum sprays? That was the last time these children saw their mother (November 7th 2011).

Doesn’t anyone in authority know about the damage that trauma inflicts on children’s brain development? (See the work of American experts Dr Bruce Perry and Professor Ron Lally – both of whom have visited South Australia on different occasions.)

What I am seeing is child abuse by the very system that should be protecting them.

The mother’s only “crime” is that she – a social worker mandated to report abuse – rightly reported that her children had been sexually abused by their father. There was evidence of this on two DVDs obtained from security CCTV cameras plus anal bleeding plus children’s statements. And yet, as you know from previous correspondence, they were not assessed by the AWCH despite a recommendation from their GP.

The actions of the Family Court indicate that children who disclose child sex abuse by fathers will lose their mothers and be sent to live with their abusers.

A NSW barrister is so sick of this happening nationwide that he came to represent Ms L free of charge – but to no avail because the judge ignores the recent reports of sexual abuse and refers only to Justice Bell’s findings of 1998, i.e., that the children’s obsessive attempts to orally penetrate each other, have oral sex and masturbate to achieve orgasm (urinating on the carpet) was “normal” behaviour at 3 and 4 years of age. If that were the case, child care centres and kindergarten would be full of children behaving sexually.

A trial has been arranged for March 11th but could be a farce as the judge has restricted what evidence can be heard.

I think that this case demonstrates yet again that child abuse cases should not be in the Family Court and a state alternative should be created.

Yours sincerely

Dr. Freda Briggs AO

Emeritus Professor of Child development

UniSA Magill Campus.

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16 COMMENTS

  1. “Families SA’s legal representative failed to get that message through to the court and when the judge announced that there would be no change to the mother’s contact, she was heard to say, “Well done” to the father’s lawyer and Independent Children’s lawyer who were sitting beside her.”

    What, no high fives?

  2. From unisa.edu.au:

    “It is with great sadness that University of South Australia acknowledged the death of Emeritus “Professor Freda Briggs, AO. UniSA Vice Chancellor Professor David Lloyd says Freda Briggs’ career as a researcher and educator and a champion and protector of all children, but especially vulnerable children, has been an inspiration. Her passion and determination for her work was always unbridled.

    “Starting out as one of the first female police officers in London, Prof Briggs was confronted with vulnerable children as part of her day-to-day work. As a lecturer, she trained educators to identify children who were victims of abuse or neglect.
    “She immigrated to Melbourne in 1975 to take up a pioneering position as Director of Early Childhood Studies at the State College of Victoria. She became Dean of the Institute of Early Childhood and Family Studies in Adelaide in 1980 and established a world first multi-professional course in child protection.

    “She was an expert witness in child abuse trials…
    “She was the champion everyone wants on their side – dedicated, intelligent and brave – a force to be reckoned with.”

  3. A small sample of her books as shown at worldcat.org:

    Keep children safe : a book for grown-ups who want to protect children from the risks of child sexual abuse and other dangers
    by Freda Briggs; Monica Love
    Publisher: Melborne, Australia : Longman Cheshire, 1988.

    Developing personal safety skills in children with disabilities
    by Freda Briggs
    Publisher: London : J. Kingsley, 2004.

    Child sexual abuse : confronting the problem
    by Freda Briggs
    Publisher: South Melbourne, Vic. : Pitman, 1986.

  4. Mary at the Fringe Festival you asked if the audience had heard of several people–one being Fiona Barnett– later I heard that you were surprised at how many had not heard of her or her testimonies. I wonder –if you had asked –who knew of Freda Briggs and her work– how many positive responses you would have had.
    So thank you for this article, I know a lot about her work and can give testimony to her legacy.

    Freda Briggs AO (1 December 1930 – 6 April 2016) was an Australian academic, author and child protection advocate. In 2000, she was named Senior Australian of the Year for her pioneering work in child protection.

    I select a couple of links to the significance of her work–and to your work Mary.

    https://www.female.com.au/dr-freda-briggs-the-silenced-epidemic-interview.htm

    Dr. Freda Briggs The Silenced Epidemic Interview
    Dr Freda Briggs AO, Emeritus Professor in Child Development, University of South Australia.

    “Question: Why did you choose to participate in the National Child Protection Alliance and Justice for Children’s event, The Silenced Epidemic?

    Dr Freda Briggs: I was invited and thought it was worthwhile as we need to publicise what is happening to young children who have been sexually abused by their fathers and their mothers have sought help from the Family Court because the victims are too young to give evidence in the Criminal Court system.”

    “Question: What results did you see from the forum?

    Dr Freda Briggs: Nothing much because there were only two Politicians represented and what is needed is a massive reform which can only come from Politicians, many of whom (men) continue to believe that mothers concoct allegations of abuse to spite their former partners. This is despite research evidence to the contrary. Would any mother sell her house to pay legal bills, simply to spite the father? I don’t think so… And yet, I have met dozens of women who have paid from $350,000 to over $1m to lawyers in their unsuccessful efforts to protect their children.”

    “Question: What are your hopes, for the future?

    Dr Freda Briggs: Unless we can remove child abuse cases from the Family Court (in the long term) and educate Judges, only employ experienced Clinical Psychologists as assessors and get rid of Children’s Independent Lawyers the future for these children will be bleak as there is a high correlation between sexual abuse and later mental illness, suicide, drug abuse, relationship breakdown and of course some of the children will become sex offenders and create another generation of victims.”

    And my connection:

    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/former-south-australian-supreme-court-judge-ted-mullighan-dies/news-story/f7685b5d196c422764f034f937bb647e

    Edward Picton “Ted” Mullighan, QC (25 March 1939 – 16 September 2011) was an Australian judge, who was Commissioner of the Children in State Care Commission of Inquiry[1] appointed by the Government of South Australia.[2][3]
    Mullighan had practised law from 1962, was made Queen’s Counsel in 1978,[4] and was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia from 1989. He was a member of the Commonwealth Legal Aid Review Committee, President of the Law Society of South Australia, and co-chair of Reconciliation SA.
    Mullighan died in Adelaide, aged 72.[5]

  6. We should always get our facts right.

    https://www.adelaide.edu.au/records/archives/former/Edward_Mullighan.pdf

    Some Q and A from link above
    4

    “I acknowledge that this land on which we meet today is the traditional land of the Kaurna people and we respect their spiritual relationship with their country.

    I also acknowledge the Kaurna people as the custodians of this land and the importance of their cultural and heritage beliefs to them today.

    The Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor and President of this University, distinguished guests, members of staff and above all the graduates. I offer my congratulations and best wishes on your outstanding achievements and I also congratulate your family members, friends, spouses and other supporters, as the case may be, who have, no doubt, made a substantial contribution to your success.

    I thank you Chancellor for what you have had to say about me and your considerable generosity. I am deeply honoured by the award to me of Doctor of this great University which I shall always cherish. I thank all those who have supported me in my life’s work, particularly my wife who has made a considerable contribution, I must say that whatever I have done which has provoked this award has been a privilege.

    When I was conducting the lnquiry into sexual abuse of children in State care, I was taking evidence from an elderly woman who had been severely abused as a very young girl, Before I had proceeded very far, she pointed herfinger at me and said:

    “Can I say something to you before we go any fufther?”

    I agreed, She said:
    “YoLt are the voice o/the little girl locked in the cupboard under fhe sfairs “,

    That is what happened to her. She had never before been able to disclose the abuse. She was frightened, humiliated, powerless and ashamed. She kept her secret for over 60 years.

    She lived her life on the margins of society. She lived many years alone with two dogs and died within a year of giving her evidence. The lnquiry gave her a voice. She was empowered and she disclosed, I mention one matter of humour, Shortly after she gave her evidence I had a periodic media conference and I mentioned her story in a general way. I referred to her as an 81 year old woman. She saw the interview and rang me the next day to thank me. She said “By the way I am 71 not 81,”

    We should always get out facts right.

  7. In light of the Cardinal George Pell and the Christchurch massacre cases this material deserves to be re-published – but with caution.

    Why?

    Because multicultural/religious constraints prevent anyone from focusing on how far the ugly practice of male and female genital mutilation, child brides, honour killings, etc. may be discussed in public forum – without attracting the weaponised “hate” and “racist” tag to shut down debate because any defence of such disgusting practices will then easily be justified through sophistry on religious grounds.

    If a discussion is possible, then this will inevitably lead to a discussion of conflicting world views and what moral and intellectual values are propagated therein.

    Thanks Mary – I hope this is a start in shedding light on a dark aspect of our otherwise open society.

  8. Dee & Mary,

    Thank you for your tireless efforts. I have a take on all of this, and I intend to post this information on yesterday’s article regarding who is the authority for CPS. For now, however, I would like to share this quote from former CPS INVESTIGATOR, CARLOS MORALES:

    As an investigator for CPS, I did not help children; I hurt them.
    I did not protect families; I helped ruin them.
    I did not work to benefit society; I helped corrupt it.
    CPS damages and CONTROLS society from within, by allowing the state to take over the lives of
    children.

    As retired SUPREME COURT JUDGE BRYAN LINDSEY put it: “There is no system ever devised
    by mankind that is GUARANTEED to rip husband and wife or father, mother and child apart so
    bitterly than our present FAMILY COURT SYSTEM.”

    Suzanne Barnes
    Chicago, Illinois
    USA

    P.S. The website information automatically entered itself in the template below? I don’t actually have a website, so not sure about why that occurred.

  9. Thank you, Suzanne. I am unaware of the court ripping spouses from each other. As for the children it is malicious indeed.

    Re Carlos Morales he says in a YOUtube vid that the child stealing is tied in with drug sales. I have no knowledge of it but it sounds believable.

    • Thank you again Mary. I didn’t see that particular video of Carlos Morales, and I typically don’t follow him. However, I did want to share his quote, as he was in insider from CPS.

      At least here, in the U.S., foster children and those in the care of CPS are heavily drugged with psychotropics and other drugs, to manage and/or is the excuse used, in order to manage behavioral problems/mental issues and the like.

      The other side of this, is that illegal cartels deal in drugs (including those pharmaceuticals used on children), supply children for sexual (and evil?) purposes (pedophiles, demonic rituals that include violent sexual abuse and sacrifice), organ stealing and selling, weapons, labor and sex trafficking, etc.

      My own daughter was awarded to her pedophile, antisocial personality disordered, sexually sadistic father 11 years ago. I was a protective mother who then lost all custody despite evidence of his true character brought before the Family Court. I just saw her for the 1st time in two years on Dec. 23, 2018, two days after her 19th birthday.

      When I was allowed to see her, off and on, over the past 11 years, I observed her rapid deterioration from a healthy, vibrant, happy, and academically gifted student, to a shell of her former self with multiple physical and emotional/psychological injuries. She is now learning disabled and suffers psychiatric disabilities. She told me that she takes 7 medications for the psychiatric problems she now has.

      At least here, in the U.S., there are millions, if not billions, of dollars that go toward fatherhood.gov initiatives. Looking deeper into the issue, you will find that there is a war here in the U.S. against mothers/motherhood, and that male activism fuels the divide of fathers vs. mothers.

      I have been an advocate and activist for mothers and children for many years now, and periodically do work for the Women’s Coalition International, based in California. Cindy Dumas is the Executive Director, and she lost her 3 boys to a sexually abusive father in the early 1990’s.

      I intend to expound on Diane de Vere’s explanation on your previous article Re: Is there an authority that governs CPS, who or what is it? I attempted to post an in-depth explanation of what I know, as of recently, after many years of research, however, my comment kept freezing then disappeared.

      Mary and Dee, have you heard of our former State of Georgia Senator Nancy Schaeffer? She uncovered the evil behind CPS and she and her husband were found dead soon after. We had another investigative reporter from Fox News in California uncovering the evil behind all of this (can’t recall his name at the moment), about 3-4 years ago (approx.), and he too was found dead on a hiking trip.

      What I’m trying to say is please, be careful.

      Kind regards — Suzanne Barnes

    • Indeed this “system” has a desired pathway catering for the different “match off”, that can be played out for the plebs, or to drive the agenda as desired.
      So sorry Suzanne, I know these things happen, and could not imagine the anguish.
      Icke, has forwarded some very relevant “transitition” coupled with fore-warning”.
      The culling thing does not carry, by numbers. The more suffering by large numbers the better, seems the play to me.

  12. As a single father I had concerns that my daughter was sexual abused while on access to her mother. Unbeknown to me then her (latest) husband was ordered by the children court not to come near the matrimonial home due to sexual abuse against my daughter’s half sibling residing with her mother. I went through the motions of taking my daughter to the children hospital and medical evidence was that indeed my daughter was sexual abused. Yet, when it came to the Family Court of Australia it was as I was the culprit. When then I refused my daughter to go on access I ended up being imprisoned. For 3 weeks. Afterwards my daughter explained to me that her mother had given her a Christmas present telling her she would never again see (me) her father. However my daughter returned to me and after that the mother decided never again to have my daughter for access. She had previously lost her 4 children due to sexual abuse, something I discovered 2 years after my daughter was born. While I had applied for and obtained Court wardship (not welfare wardship) the Family court of Australia despite not having jurisdiction blatantly disregard this. By the Supreme Court decision I was entitled to protect my daughter but the Family Court of Australia seemed to me to support paedophiles. My daughter (now married with 4 children) still seems to hold being the blame that I was in prison to seek top protect her, but I made clear I as her father did what I had to do and never regretted to stand up for her wellbeing and safety.

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