Marital discord main cause of child abuse

Press, 3 July 1985, Page 12

Marital discord main cause of child abuse

NZPA-AAP London Marital conflict has emerged as the biggest single cause of child abuse, according to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Often children are innocent victims of warring parents ignorant of the traumatic effect their quarrels have, the society said. In six years to 1983, marital discord featured in 57 per cent of child cruelty cases listed on the Society’s child abuse registers. Dr Alan Gilmour, the society’s director, said, “Marriage problems lie at the heart of so many cases of child abuse. “All too often the children are the ones who get hurt most when parents are having marriage troubles, or going through a bitter marital break-up.” Cases dealt with by the society’s officers included:® Robert, aged four, who had seen his mother tied to a bed and beaten, witnessed her lesbian relationship with a neighbour, and seen his father leave home 18 times. Robert became the neighbourhood “animal,” beating up other children, strangling a cat, and smashing win-

dows and furniture.# Karen, aged six, who developed a stammer and began wetting the bed after being used as a “gobetween” by her battling parents to pass messages to each other.® A boy, aged three, who was found naked and wet through in a freezing room after his father left home. His two brothers, aged five and six, were also dirty, badly fed, and suffered stomach troubles. The society said that a child’s ordeal could be made worse by court proceedings. “What is needed is a simple one-court system to deal with child care and family matters,” Dr Gilmour said. “The society eagerly awaits the (British) Government’s soon to be published views on a family court system, and we call for early legislation.