Parental Alienation: A High Profile Case
Channa Borman
Attorney/Owner of C.E. Borman & Associates | Host of Straight Talk Honest Advice Podcast
Parental alienation occurs when one parent lies to their children and pits them against the other parent. Often parental alienation arises during divorce when an insecure parent alienates the children as a means of gaining child custody.
In a TEDx Talks video, Jennifer Harman discusses parental alienation. She is a researching social psychologist, associate professor of psychology at Colorado State University, and co-author of Parents Acting Badly. She states that 13% of parents are targets of parental alienation.
A HIGH PROFILE MINNESOTA CASE THAT INVOLVED PARENTAL ALIENATION
In April 2013, the Rucki girls, Samantha and Gianna ran away from home, but no Amber Alert or manhunt immediately followed in an attempt to locate them. Almost three years later, it was discovered that they were alive, well and living at a horse farm that was located less than three hours from their home.
The mother, who relocated the girls and lied about doing so, subsequently faced felony charges for child abduction. A jury found her guilty on September 22, 2016 according to Sun Thisweek.
However, the parental alienation occurred much earlier than the abduction and eventually led up to the girls’ disappearance. The mother claimed that the father was physically abusive to her and their five children. In 2011, she filed for divorce and got a protective order against her husband. During the divorce, the court assigned several therapists to evaluate the children, and they determined that the mother was engaging in parental alienation. The parent’s oldest child, Nico Rucki testified that his father never abused them or his mother.
ARE YOU DEALING WITH PARENTAL ALIENATION? TALK WITH ONE OF OUR ATTORNEYS.
If you’re struggling with parental alienation during divorce, discuss your situation with an experienced divorce lawyer so you understand your rights and have legal recourse to deal with your situation. If you have questions about divorce, our attorneys at C.E. Borman & Associates are glad to provide you with compassionate legal guidance.