Mother fights for daughter

18 Year-Old Returns to Mom after Nearly 12 Years!
Villain Judge Enabled Father to Keep Her Away

[You may also read this article here: https://womenscoalition.substack.com/p/18-year-old-returns-to-mom-after

Literally, the minute Macey turned 18, she came back to her mother!
On the eve of her 18th birthday, Macey was in Laney’s arms!
Macey was taken from Laney when she was 7 years-old, her father having been empowered to do so by a St. Landry Parish, Louisiana Family Court judge. In March, it would be 12 years that Laney and Macey have been deprived of each other.

Despite the father keeping Macey away and attempting to turn her against Laney, he was never able to truly alienate her from Laney. Macey kept her love for her mother and always longed to be back with her.

“Macey never forgot about the special bond we always had together…no matter what that monster would tell her. She knew better & waited for the day she could finally break free from him.”

LANEY’S STORY
Shortly after Laney became pregnant with Macey, her husband became violent and seriously emotionally abusive.

“He would go into rages, lasting for hours and hours of verbal and physical abuse. His eyes would scare me to my core, they were empty and full of hate.”

Laney’s ex was so violent, and apparently had drug issues, that he was sentenced to a lock-down drug and anger rehabilitation program for two and a half years. This was part of a plea deal for the criminal charges filed against him: three counts of aggravated assault and battery with the intent to use a deadly weapon, also threats to kill Laney’s family.

“By the time deputies arrived, family members had wrestled a loaded shot gun out of [the father’s] hands and had him pinned to the ground in self-defense.”

Laney filed for divorce while her husband was in the program. He continued to emotionally abuse and threaten her while in the program.

“You’re going to pay—I will make sure of it!”

The father was, not surprisingly, released early. Laney insisted that his visits with Macey be supervised, which made him angry, so he filed a motion for custody.

FAMILY COURT VILLAIN
St. Landry Parish, Louisiana Family Court Judge James P. Doherty, Jr. had been assigned to the divorce/custody case. Laney initially got sole custody because the father was literally locked up for years due to his violent behavior.

Judge Doherty ordered both parents to take drug tests. Laney passed; the father did not comply with his order. Doherty let that slide. He ordered only Laney to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, not the criminally-charged father. Laney passed the assessment with flying colors, but already the gender bias was clear.

Little Macey had some serious, life-threatening medical issues that needed constant vigilance, so the father was ordered to meet with doctors and take classes so he could properly care for her. He did not comply, and again Judge Doherty let him slide, putting Macey at great risk.

SUPERVISED; THEN NOT
A common ruse in Family Court is for judges to make like they are concerned about children’s safety by initially ordering supervised visits with the abusive father. Then, not long afterwards, transition to unsupervised visits—because the abuse is “in the past”. [Of course it is in the past—he’s been supervised since the last assault.]

That’s what happened with Macey. At first visits were supervised by Laney’s family, then by the father’s mother, then vacated altogether. After returning from only the second unsupervised visit with the father, Macey was in distress, saying her bottom hurt really bad.

Laney took Macey to the ER and a forensic evaluation was conducted. This included a medical exam where photographs were taken of the injuries Macey had sustained. A rape kit was not done, supposedly to spare her “trauma”, but the medical exam found clear evidence Macey had been sexually assaulted, as well as her pediatrician.

Macey was 4 years-old. Laney was in shock.

“When they told me all of this, I went nuts. I couldn’t believe it.”

Laney was granted a Restraining Order [RO] from a different judge which stopped unsupervised visitation, the first of many. The Sheriff did not refer the case to the D.A., claiming there was “insufficient evidence” [read: male entitlement].

Less than a year later, Judge Doherty dismissed the RO and reinstated unsupervised visits. Thereupon, Macey told a nurse and her pediatrician he was still sexually abusing her. Her pediatrician wrote to the court,“I have a strong suspicion that some form of sexual abuse is occurring based on the history that has been given to me and my exam…”

At some point, CPS founded the sexual abuse as well. Another RO by another judge was put in place.

Judge Doherty then brought out the big guns to aid in his cover up. He appointed a custody evaluator who acknowledged there was substantial evidence of abuse. But he knew why Judge Doherty had hired him, so he added, “Macey is likely to have been either consciously or subconsciously influenced to levy sexual allegations against Mr. Smith.” Sound familiar?

Then the inevitable, insider “reunification therapist” was appointed who accused Laney of alienation and recommended unsupervised visits with the father resume. So Judge Doherty, armed with these fabrications that he himself had dispatched, resumed unsupervised visitation between Macey and her bravely named abuser.

ONE LAST TRY
Laney hoped the abuse would stop after all the problems it had caused. But that was not to be. When Macey was 7 years-old, she came home in great pain and admitted to Laney the abuse was still happening.

Convinced the abuse would continue to be covered up in St. Landry Parish by family court, the D.A., law enforcement, and CPS, Laney took Macey to a hospital in an adjacent parish. There Macey was given meds for pain and a forensic exam was done.

The forensic [SANE] exam found many signs of forced sexual assault: penetration, tearing, hematomas, and bruising all around the area. Law enforcement wanted to prosecute, but the crime had been committed outside their jurisdiction. So they sent the rape kit to St. Landry, where it is unclear whether it was ever tested for sperm or DNA, likely not.

Judge Doherty completely dismissed this compelling new evidence that Macey was being serially sexually assaulted by her father. He would not allow any testimony on the record that supported she was being abused.

“Judge Doherty wouldn’t let any of our witnesses to testify on the stand on Macey’s behalf. He refused to admit any of the evidence of abuse.”

Laney had fought as hard as she could legally for Macey’s safety. Her attorneys were useless, a waste of money. Nothing had worked and she was out of options.

ATTEMPTED ESCAPE
Laney gave up trying to protect Macey in Family Court and fled into hiding. But she did not get far.

Laney was caught at the Canadian border and arrested.

The D.A. colluded with Doherty’s cover up by filing “abduction” charges against Laney, this despite the abundant evidence confirming she was fleeing to protect her child. Judge Doherty then used this criminal indictment to terminate Laney’s parental rights. This is a common, collusive tactic used to silence women and children who report paternal abuse.

The order terminating her parental rights gave the father license to disappear with her and not have to let Laney know where she was or even if she was alive.

Villain Doherty took a medically-fragile 7 year-old away from her loving, primarily bonded mother and gave her to a substantiated child rapist.

That was the last time Laney saw Macey for a very long time.

The father moved out of St. Landry Parish with Macey. Desperate, Laney hired a P.I. to find her. Laney persisted filing documents trying to at least be able to know where she was, but Judge Doherty would remove them all from the court record.

Laney spent every dollar she had trying to find her. No luck.

GOING PUBLIC
With nothing left to lose, and hoping community support would help, Laney went public. Very public. And the community got on board with her.

Laney organized protests in front of Family Court. A local reporter covered the protests and wrote an excellent, in-depth article about the injustice inflicted upon Laney and Macey: The Parent Trap: https://theind.com/articles/10857/?fbclid=IwAR0yatqyYQ94E57wYF4Pb09BuadIWLMztcsLjQ3IXjBUhsUK4oWQLCwI6hY

All the publicity did not cause Judge Doherty to do the right thing. He did not budge. Nor did the D.A. budge on dismissing the unfair kidnapping charges against Laney. These charges, which carried a lengthy prison term, were held over her head for five whole years.

Laney also took part in a Coalition Campaign by making a 2 minute video attesting to what she had endured: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rugMHpa4Ko0

A VIRTUAL PRISONER
About two and a half years ago, a Texas nurse contacted Laney and told her Macey was living at a hospital-connected children’s home. Soon the truth would unravel about what had happened to Macey since Judge Doherty bequeathed upon the father the power to disappear with her.

The father had moved with her to Texas with a stepmother and stepsiblings, and he continued to abuse her. When she was 9, she bravely told a school nurse, a mandated reporter, that her father was abusing both her stepbrother and her. CPS ordered her to be out of his home, so the father put her in an inpatient hospital facility for children with medical needs.

Apparently, CPS could not legally contact Laney, as her parental rights had been terminated by Villain Doherty. It is not known whether CPS also removed Macey’s step-siblings or just her.

The father chose to put Macey into a children’s home rather than allow her to go back to her mother where she desperately wanted to be. Laney had no idea where they were or if she was even still alive. That is the kind of father judges are vesting with power over innocent, vulnerable children.

The father continued to control every aspect of Macey’s existence in the children’s home. She lived in a small room with a TV. She was not allowed to leave the facility and rarely allowed to go outside for sun or fresh air; she was not allowed to go to school; she was not allowed to have friends or a social life.

Macey was kept a virtual prisoner.

The father instructed the hospital to give Macey birth control pills and puberty blockers, despite the fact it was a female only facility and she was not allowed out. Why would she need birth control pills? Or puberty blockers? And why would a hospital agree to that?

MACEY’S ANGELS
These were the horrible living conditions Macey endured from age 9 to o18. But when she was 15 and a half, Nurse Helena believed her, and risked her job to enable secret contact with Laney. Ms. Helena was caught and fired, but two other nurses kept the contact going until Macey turned 18. These three angels made her life bearable in those last couple years and gave Laney solace her daughter was alive and she could talk to her and tell her how much she loved her.

Laney jumped through many hoops in Texas trying to get Macey legally returned to her, but was never able to even get visitation. The father was allowed to keep full control over her until she was 18.

That is Laney’s and Macey’s incredible story.

Laney survived the unimaginable: complete loss and disappearance of her precious daughter. She is thrilled to have her back after all these years.

And Macey also survived the unimaginable: loss of her mother, her primary bond, and forced to life under the control of an abuser. She has to catch up on education, do some trauma recovery, and deal with some medical issues caused while in the children’s home, but she is happy to finally, after 12 long years, be back home with Mom.

Congrats to Laney & Macey!

Like, comment and share this article in support of Laney and Macey!

And join Women’s Coalition International where we are uniting to fight the systemic sexism that caused Laney and so many other mothers to lose custody and be unable to protect their children. https://www.womenscoalitioninternational.org/

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Keep standing in your truth – Charlie McCready

This father’s words are a testament to the resilience it takes to endure parental alienation. It can be a long and painful journey, but healing yourself is just as important as holding onto hope for your child. Taking care of your mental and emotional well-being doesn’t mean giving up—it means staying strong enough to be there when your child is ready.⁠

Parental alienation can make you feel powerless, but the love between parent and child is not so easily erased. Even when they cannot show it, even when they have been taught to suppress it, that bond still exists.⁠

Keep going. Keep healing. Keep standing in your truth.⁠

#charliemccready

#parentalalienationcoach

#alienatedchild

#alienatedparent

#narcissisticabuseawareness

#narcissisticparent

Narcissist: unable to love- Charlie McCready

Narcissistic alienating parents are characterised by a self-centred, manipulative, and exploitative nature. They prioritise their own needs, desires, and self-image above the well-being of others, including their children. Here are some key points:

Lack of empathy: Narcissistic individuals often struggle with empathy, which is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. They have difficulty recognising and validating the emotional experiences of their children or anyone else in their lives. Their focus is primarily on themselves and their own needs.

Manipulative and controlling behaviour: Narcissistic parents tend to manipulate and control those around them to maintain a sense of power and superiority. They may use tactics such as gaslighting, guilt-tripping, emotional manipulation, and coercive control to assert dominance and maintain control over their children.

Exploitation of relationships: They view relationships as opportunities for personal gain rather than genuine connections based on mutual care and support. They may exploit their partner’s and their children’s love and loyalty to serve their own agenda, using them as extensions of themselves rather than recognising their autonomy and individual needs. This also goes for other family members and work associates, in fact, anyone in their lives.

Lack of genuine love and care: Narcissistic individuals struggle to experience and express genuine love and care for others. Their primary focus is obtaining admiration, attention, and validation. As a result, their relationships, including those with their children, lack the depth, emotional connection, and authentic care that healthy relationships require.

Superficial charm and manipulation: They often appear charming, charismatic, and even loving in the early stages of a relationship. However, their behaviour tends to be manipulative, self-serving, and inconsistent over time. Their actions are primarily driven by a need for control, admiration, and validation rather than genuine care and concern.

They lose interest when someone no longer ‘serves’ them. When someone calls out their behaviour, they’ll go on the attack to protect their interests/lies. It’s important to recognise that not all alienating parents are narcissistic, and not all narcissistic parents engage in parental alienation. But when these two dynamics intersect, the results can harm and damage the child’s well-being and the parent-child relationship.

#charliemccready

#parentalalienationcoach

#narcissisticabuseawareness

#narcissisticparent

#traumabonding

Charlie McCready -The Reality of Parental alienation

This post will resonate with those who understand the reality of what’s commonly known as parental alienation. The alienator is skilled and practised in telling us that we no longer have children, that we don’t deserve to see them, that we’re no good. If they can say such shocking, untrue things to us, just imagine the false narratives they are feeding others—and, most devastatingly, our children. And why? In short, and for the vast majority of us, it’s simply and most devastatingly, to punish us. In doing so, they are also punishing the children, tearing them away from a loving, willing, and available parent.They distort the child’s thinking, erode their beliefs, and attack any real connection.The divorce has nothing to do with the children, yet the alienator will try to turn an ex-partner into an ex-parent. This is not love. This is not healthy. This is disordered, selfish, and psychologically abusive behaviour.

Knowing the truth about the alienator and their behaviours doesn’t bring our children back, but it’s important to understand the pathology. It’s also vital not to react to their provocations and abuse, however tempting it may be. Because, at present, ‘parental alienation’ is not recognised as abuse in its own right. While coercive control, one of the alienator’s favoured methods, is recognised in many jurisdictions as abuse, mental health and legal professionals still focus on what is deemed ‘in the child’s best interests’. But when the child is indoctrinated, terrorised, and made to feel unloved/abandoned, their voice is no longer authentic. This is not a genuine expression of their will—it’s the result of manipulation/coercive control (abuse). It’s akin to Stockholm Syndrome, or even brainwashing. Still, the result of the indoctrination is what the experts often focus on when making their decisions, and to further complicate matters, false allegations are often thrown into the mix to delay progress.

Even though the child is coerced into aligning with the alienating parent, this was never their choice. If they had made this decision freely, it would be ‘estrangement,’ and some form of natural separation from home/parents is part of growing up, especially during adolescence. But children ideally want healthy relationships with both parents—not just with the bullying, alienating, and coercively controlling one. This is their right. Denying them this is abuse in itself.

#charliemccready

#parentalalienationcoach

#divorce

#divorced

#custody

The Blessings of Being Rejected by your child

Watching your child(ren) go through so much of life enmeshed with a parent who abuses them , to savage you … is the Hell on Earth no one wants or deserves .

That said , I have been on my own since 1993 . As the toxic RX increased the unpleasant side effects of being the target physically, I had no one who cared .

Realizing the blatant abuse and X’s desire to recreate as much of my trauma of childhood , I could more easily distance myself

youtube.com/watch

Controlling the Child to harm the other parent./Charlie McCready

An alienating parent is not providing unconditional love. They are controlling and behaving selfishly. A loving parent does not work towards eliminating the other parent, a loving, available, good parent (and often their extended family, too), from the child’s life because that is definitely not in the child’s best interests. In contrast, a ‘target’ (alienated/rejected) parent often ‘lets go’ because they love SO MUCH. This act of ‘letting go’ (or necessary detachment) is a powerful demonstration of genuine love because this parent refuses to play the alienating parent’s tug of war game if it creates further trauma and harm to their child. This is LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. Fear and control and anger, coercive control, indoctrination, lies and ‘brainwashing’ are not loving behaviours. The child is confused and enmeshed by the twisted narratives and lies they hear, and cognitive dissonance and splitting are coping mechanisms, as is their anger. The (alienated) children would like nothing more than for their parents to coexist and co-parent amicably, fostering a healthy environment for everyone’s mental and emotional well-being so they can get on with their lives. Even if parental harmony remains elusive, the toll of ongoing conflict on a child’s mental health is undeniable. Unfortunately, the alienating parent often remains indifferent to this toll. Unfortunately, they literally don’t care. However, as the child matures, they may come to realise the destructive nature of these actions, prompting a journey toward understanding, forgiveness, and healing. It’s of paramount importance to be strong, stay loving, and not succumb to angry, provoked reactions. Near or far, be the healthy-minded parent in the child’s life. Even if there’s no contact at the moment, focus on being happy, on being there whenever the child/adult knocks on your door again.

#charliemccready

#parentalalienationcoach

#alienatedparent

#narcissisticparent

#gaslighting

#emotionalabuse

Powerless Triggers – Charlie McCready

I’ve come to understand that this isn’t about me personally; it’s a deeply rooted attachment pathology, and complex family dynamic involving disordered parenting. It’s spiralled into a situation where my child’s thoughts, beliefs and behaviours have been significantly influenced – trauma-bonded, coercively controlled, emotionally manipulated. Learning about this has helped me see the bigger picture, though I am working on my sense of isolation, frustration, injustice, and of course the grief. There’s nothing like it. People say it’s like a ‘living bereavement’ and that’s so true. It seems people don’t truly understand this unless they’ve been through it, and alienated parents are united in feeling let down by the mental health and family court system.

Still, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned not to react to the hurtful behaviour anymore. Sometimes, I catch myself just shaking my head, thinking, ‘Oh, this again.’ It’s like recognising a pattern. I remind myself that ‘this too will pass.’ My focus now is on maintaining my love for my child, even if they can’t see it right now. Detaching with love has become my way of preserving our bond through this difficult time. Nobody can take the love I have for my child away from me. Nothing and no one.

Conscious parenting plays a significant role here. It’s about recognising the importance of my child’s emotional well-being even when they may not fully comprehend it themselves. So, I make an effort to create a safe and loving space for them whenever/should they ever walk through my door. My door, and my heart, are open. I don’t let their negative behaviour dictate my response. Instead, I model the behaviour I want them to see—unconditional love, patience, and understanding. It’s challenging, but it’s also empowering because I believe this will help me and it will help my child heal and come back into my life when they’re ready.

Meanwhile I’m getting on with my life and not feeling sad or guilty about it. I have my moments, but I’m focussing on the present not the past, the love not the loss. If I can do it, and I’ve been in the pits of despair believe me, I know you can too.

#charliemccready

#parentalalienationcoach