Legal Assistance for Abuse

Questioner

16 year old girl is mentally and physically abused by her mother. Mother has custody of this girl. Judge has ruled that girl must stay with mother until 18 years old. Family is known to youth care. Mother has youth care on her side. Is there anything legally possible to give her father custody after all?

Lawyer

Mental and physical abuse is a serious matter, but also a serious accusation. If you are absolutely certain that such abuse is taking place, you can always report it to the police. You can also report it to the Advice and Reporting Center for Child Abuse (AMK). They will then investigate your report and, if necessary, take action in consultation with the Child Protection Board. The father can try to obtain custody of his child in a legal procedure. With parents, there is no question of guardianship but of authority. The father can then try to have the child's primary residence determined with him via the court. But in this procedure too, it will have to be demonstrated to the judge that the child is not in good hands with her mother. A judge must have good reasons to change the primary residence of a child. In such a procedure, the child will also be summoned to give her opinion. The judge will take the child's opinion into account as much as possible. To start such a procedure, you need a lawyer.