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The Family Law system recieves a large number of allegations in regard to family violence and child abuse. The court does not have the powers to investigate these and often little is done to protect children. Child protection rarely investigates these matters on the grounds that "the parent is acting protectively," and the child protection system is exhausted and lacks the ability to investigate allegations with any degree of depth.

Many researchers found in the US and Australia a huge majority of child abuse allegations (90% to 98%) are genuine. Studies have found that domestic violence increases after separation even to the extent of homicide.  The concept of Parental Alienation Syndrome - a concept invented and discredited in America, but used extensively in Australian family courts - is used to claim that the children's accusations of violence committed against them by the male parent is due to manipulation of children by female parent. On this false pretext, the children who claim abuse by the male parent are frequently placed in full-time care of the abuser, while the mother's access to the children is denied.

The family court needs to step away from deception and value truth over appearance. It needs to make sure that it is possible for children to tell the truth and not to be prosecuted for it or placed in full-time care of the abuser. It also needs to make sure that the children are not exposed to further violence. Supervised contact centres have long waiting lists and are only for six months, contributing to the reason why children are further exposed to domestic abuse.

This petition is for the Australian family court system to re-evaluate the use of Parental Alienation Syndrome. Please sign it if you believe that the way it is being used is wrong.