smack the child

Parents had separated 7 years earlier.  A trial judge found that the father of children aged 12 and 10 years had engaged in a pattern of emotionally abusive behaviour that undermined the children’s relationships with their mother, and...

A father withheld a child aged 10 years after the child spoke about being hit by the mother’s new partner, and the boy missed schooling.  The father complained to police who sighted a faint bruise on the...

A mother alleged that the father had sexually abused an older daughter of the mother from another relationship when that child was aged 8 years. The mother also alleged that the father was unable to control his anger without...

An assessor described a 13 year old child as having developed an atypical form of anxious-avoidant attachment style, meaning that the child had responded to the lack of adult responsiveness to his needs by becoming self-reliant. ...

The mother was the primary attachment figure for four children aged between 4 and 9 years.  Allegations of physical and sexual abuse of the children were made against the mother’s new husband.  The children alleged that the step-father...

The mother of four children appealed a decision by the judge to place two younger boys aged 7 and 8 years with their father and older brother, while a girl was placed with the mother.  The...

The case involved a non-parent who applied for care of four children aged 1 to 6 years as the children had lived with her for 6-9 months.  The applicant was a friend of the mother.  Both parents reclaimed...

Children aged 12 and 11 years reported that their mother had pinched, hit and slapped the children as a form of discipline, leaving bruises that were observable to Police (discipline harsh). The judge found that the...

A mother was raised as Christian by her parents who had worked as missionaries.  The mother converted to Islam and met a partner who considered her to be a devout Muslim.  The couple married and had two...

Parents disputed the living arrangement of a child aged 4 years with mild autism.  Both parents acknowledged that the child’s behaviour was at times trying.  The father reported that the mother frequently became angry over the...

Four children aged 13, 12, 7 and 5 years had lived with their mother and spent time with their father.  The father then informed police that he had explosives in his house, leading to a siege...

A 12 year old boy had lived with his mother for 18 months and then was ordered to live with his father and to spend time with his mother.  The mother appealed saying that the judge...