I have just finished watching one of my favourite films. “The Day the Earth Caught Fire” about when the effects of two nuclear weapons tests result in the Earth being pushed slowly towards the sun.

In the film there is a not insignificant scene where one of the reporters of the Daily Express meets up with his ex-wife and his child. The impression given is that the mother, in this case, is ‘allowing’ him to see his child. A similar situation to some custody situations now.

So when was this film made? last year? a couple of years ago? And what has it to do with me? Well let me give you a clue: Leo McKern starred in it.  Still not got it?  Well this might help …. it was in black and white!  Yes, the film is from 1961 – before I was born. And what is the point I am trying to make after three paragraphs –

Nothing has really changed has it?

Non-residential parents are still trying to see their children, there may be more possibilities to use in court to achieve this aim, but the underlying situation – a parent doesn’t want their ex-partner to see their children is still present after nearly sixty years. Instead of society seeing it as wrong and changing, and regarding custody restriction and parental alienation as something one doesn’t do in a civilised society it is more or less accepted that ‘it happens’, and business as usual prevails.

This is a sad inditement on how our society (certainly in the UK, Germany and Austria) has (not) developed.

Restrictions on custody and parental alienation resulting from the actions of the custodial parent for no good reason should be regarded as completely unacceptable by all members of society. At the moment it is only regarded as such when a case reaches the media, and practically everyone condemns it for the anti-social action that it is – Especially in the comments section of the Daily Mail!

I fear that I will not see a change in attitude that will result in less emotional abuse of children and non-custodial parents. I hope I am wrong – but history seems to think otherwise.

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