What's happening

We continue the struggle for justice. A mother who had been experiencing intimate partner violence for several years while caring for a young family of two infants is now in an arduous court process to regain parental responsibilities that were wrongly taken from her.

As many of you are aware, mothers leaving situations of extreme violence in all its forms, while small children and custody hang in the balance is a truly terrifying affair; fraught with facing off with inherently unfair systems that do not prioritize trauma informed interactions and safety. Often, mothers leaving violence are treated as if they’re in a petty personal conflict, instead of making decisions of life and death for both themselves and their children. And the abusive man in this situation did not like his partner leaving him to seek safety for her children and herself.

Since, he has manipulated these unfair systems with untruthful testaments to try and maintain control and power of his children. This has come at a harrowing expense for the children, mother and supporting family members.

The impact

Alongside depriving these children, including a newborn, from the care of their mother, the abusive man has continuously refused or made it difficult for them access to health care and community services to help them heal from the trauma they have endured from his violence. There have been serious implications on their development, which is heart-wrenching for the mother and her family, who desperately want them to receive the care they deserve. Moreover, the mother has to negotiate every time she sees her children, which has entailed further harassment and abuse.

Every day spent away from these children, knowing that they are regressing and being impacted long term from the separation, breaks the mother and supporting family members' hearts over and over again.

This court battle has the potential to be long and ugly, as so many cases like it are. Alongside recovering from the years of violence, continued personal attacks and the weaponization of policing forces in the face of small children and traumatized mothers, these battles have a tremendous negative impact on the families and communities that weather it. Years of being in this windstorm have already had huge health, emotional and psychological impacts on everyone involved. So we’re a community springing into action!

How you can help

The legal fees may be upward of $35,000 CAD. This was and is a barrier for the mother who is on disability due to years of enduring violence and trauma.

We are looking to fundraise a good chunk of no string attached financial support for this family — for whatever they will need it for. Needs have been shared as time-off support, therapy bills, meal support, health support and most urgently - legal support.

Funds will be transferred directly into the family’s accounts as they come in. Please give generously. Community is a powerful thing — all we have is each other.