Lara Feigel's recent article for “Right To Equality” a left wing feminist organisation,
on a family court case in East London demonstrates a concerning bias that undermines the serious issues at play in our family justice system. While purporting to examine power dynamics, the piece instead reveals its own prejudices and fails to address the grave impact of false allegations and hostile parenting on children.
The most glaring issue is how Feigel minimizes serious misconduct. The mother in this case made false allegations of sexual interest in children - accusations that led to supervised contact and could have permanently destroyed the father-child relationship. Yet Feigel presents this merely as one of several "mistakes," rather than acknowledging it as the serious form of abuse it represents.
The article's treatment of evidence is equally problematic. The parenting coach - a qualified professional - is dismissively referred to as a "so-called expert," while pure speculation about the mother's motivations is presented as reasonable explanation for her behavior. This creates a narrative where professional assessments are undermined while assumptions supporting the mother's position are uncritically accepted.
Feigel's handling of power dynamics reveals deep inconsistency. While emphasizing certain imbalances, she ignores the mother's exercise of power through false allegations, unilateral medical decisions, and control over handovers. The father is criticized both for having resources and for how he uses them - his provision of better educational opportunities is somehow framed as a negative.
Perhaps most concerning is the article's suggestion that parental hatred can be acceptable. When Feigel asks "isn't hatred a common feature of divorce?" she fundamentally misunderstands the court's obligation to protect children from parental conflict. The mother's documented hostility and "failure to see what's required by the system" isn't simply a matter of institutional compliance - it represents a real risk to the child's emotional wellbeing.
The court's decision was based on clear evidence: false allegations, unilateral decision-making, filming of distress rather than providing comfort, and persistent hostility. Yet Feigel's piece attempts to reframe these serious issues as merely cultural misunderstandings or understandable responses to power imbalance.
This kind of reporting does a disservice to the many families navigating our family court system. By minimizing the impact of false allegations and hostile parenting, it undermines efforts to protect children from these forms of abuse. If we want to truly serve children's best interests, we must be willing to honestly confront these behaviors rather than searching for ways to excuse them.
The family courts face many challenges, but their primary duty remains protecting children from harm - including the harm caused by false allegations and persistent hostility toward parent-child relationships. Any meaningful critique of the system must start from this fundamental principle.
If you've been unfortunately falsely accused of domestic abuse please visit www.falselyaccusednetwork.co.uk or email support@falselyaccusednetwork.co.uk
You're not alone
Published February 15, 2025
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