Having witnessed the Dylan Redwine tragedy unfold and the unimaginable loss that ensued from it, it leaves one to question the ethics of court-ordered visitations.
When anyone, especially a child, is forced into an emotionally charged and emotionally unsafe situation that is court-ordered, it may be time to rethink the very idea of court-ordered visitation. As a mother, I couldn’t imagine having to put my child on a plane and send him into such an emotionally volatile situation that had the potential for physical harm. Yet with our legal system the way it is, if that didn’t happen, then custody could go to the person that my son was so uncomfortable with.
When did this happen? When did our court system totally disregard the well-being of our most vulnerable young people? Why was an unwanted, emotionally unsafe court-ordered visit the best option?
The truth is, it wasn’t. It wasn’t best for Dylan.
Shame on the courts. Shame on the ruling of court-ordered visitation.
We need to rethink this.
Sarah Gump
Bayfield
