The National Coalition for Child Protection Reform has a very interesting, and honestly very sad story, about a policy California enforces that sounds unpleasantly like something you’d find right here in Michigan. The story tracks a mother named Ingrid Archie who was subject to regular assault from her domestic partner. Archie did everything she could to get away from the man. She filed for a personal protection order, and moved herself and her children into a domestic abuse shelter for women. But apparently the state of California didn’t believe she’d done everything she could to keep her kids safe.
This battered mom was accused of failing to protect her children!
Archie was charged with criminal negligence for allowing her children to be exposed to the abuse she suffered. She was convicted of “failure to protect” and sent to jail. CPS took her children away from her and placed them in foster care. And then the unimaginable happened. While living in a foster home, Archie’s daughter was sexually abused by her foster parent, and guess who the state of California decided was to blame for that tragedy? Yup, you guessed it – Archie herself. Despite the fact that she hadn’t been there when it happened, hadn’t wanted her children put into foster care, and had done everything she could to keep them safe, she was charged with failure to protect a second time!. JUst what a battered mother needs – more trauma!
Battered mothers need help, not condemnation!
According to CPS, a parent who forces their children to remain in a home where domestic violence is an ongoing problem, and they are subjected to the psychological harm of watching their parent be abused, is guilty of a crime themselves. But this policy does way more damage than good. As the NCCPR explains in their story, “It discourages battered women from seeking help. They’re actually more likely to stay in abusive relationships for fear that if they seek that help, they’ll lose their children.” To make matters worse, a mother’s fear of losing her children is sometimes even exploited by her abuser, who will threaten to turn her in to child protective services if she tries to leave.
CPS makes a bad thing worse when they threaten abused mothers
As if the fear of their abuser, coupled with the fear of losing their children to CPS, isn’t bad enough, CPS workers will sometimes use this situation to manipulate parents. They do this by employing a ‘divide and conquer’ strategy. Using the children as the bait, CPS offers permanent placement to the battered mom accused of failure to protect, if in return they’ll help the agency by entering a plea or testifying against the other parent. The results of course, are that a parent who has suffered the trauma of abuse themselves, is then coerced and forced to plead to a charge for a crime they didn’t commit, or put themselves at risk by testifying against their abusive partner. Either way the end result is a travesty and an abuse of the law.
Don’t let CPS take your kids or falsely accuse you of crimes!
At The Kronzek Firm, we understand the bullying tactics that CPS employs to achieve their ends, as we’ve spent decades fighting against them. We know how sneaky and underhanded CPS agents can be in their dealings with distraught parents, and how easily they can manipulate situations and twist the truth. Without a vigorous defense, constructed by an aggressive CPS defense attorney, your case could end up as nothing more than a cautionary tale for other parents. Don’t let that be your future! Call us today at 866 766 5245. We have decades of experience successfully fighting CPS. We can make a difference for you as well.