A retired Aurora police sergeant faces criminal charges for raping his daughter and continually sexually assaulting her and his two adopted daughters, but he remains free from custody while his ex-wife is in jail for objecting to court-ordered reunification therapy meant to repair his relationship with two of his sons.

  • asteriskeverything@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    This article has sooo much being said between the lines.

    The mother, Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins, said the reunification therapy by Christine Bassett, a licensed marriage and family therapist, has been harmful, abusive and counterproductive

    When the other party is there perpetrator of abuse and the one with power, it very often is detrimental to have some sort of mediation or therapy/counseling. Because the abusers very often are able to manipulate the story so they are the victims in need of most support/compromise/thoughtfulness/time/money/basically ANY conceivable resource in life and relationships they will exploit.

    Now I admit I am more familiar with the medical side of things but this entire dynamic gives me pause because it is so psych 101.

    • asteriskeverything@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      To be clear, I mean the courts are absolutely failing this child and caretaker by allowing the abuser to have have access to the victim(s)

      • nickiwest@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Though the divorce judge found there was evidence that Hawkins had physically abused the oldest son, the judge said in his ruling that was “one instance that does not involve either of the two children at issue.”

        As far as information in the article, it sounds like the two kids in court-ordered Christian therapy are the only two the guy didn’t (allegedly) abuse.

        But still, the whole thing is disgusting. These children should be protected from such an abusive garbage human. Their mother is doing the right thing.

    • Trae@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      You’re looking at this objectively as a medical practitioner…which is understandable, but way off.

      What’s happening here is not even in the world of psychiatric or psychology based therapy.

      This is 100% Christian religious based bullshit “therapy”. This can be done in Colorado with an “equivalent” graduate degree.

      Even worse is if you’re engaged in the practice of “religious ministry” you don’t have to comply with any of the states licensure requirements as long as you don’t advertise or yourself as “licensed”. So in reality this “faith based therapist” probably is just some random person that works or volunteers at the church.