The groups want the Quebec government to ban the term “parental alienation” in court

A group of women's rights organizations in Quebec are asking the Legault government to offer more protection for women who are victims of intimate partner violence.

Regroupement des Maisons pour femmes Qurbanes de violence conjugale, Juripop and the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) are calling on the CAQ to issue legislation banning the use of the term parental alienation, especially when determining who owns. custody of children when parents are separated.

The term parental alienation describes a situation in which one parent speaks negatively to a child about the other parent, alienating them from that parent.

“Courts' and DYP's belief in this false concept has tragic consequences: denial of child's words and wishes, failure of mothers to protect their children from domestic violence, including post-divorce violence, and denial of recognition. About violence and women's fears,” adds Suzanne Zakkur, NAWL's director of legal affairs.

These organizations say the term is often used in court by men to deflect attention from domestic violence against mothers in order to gain custody of a child or children.

The three organizations also call for more training on domestic violence for those working in the legal system and more initiatives to respect children's voices in the justice system.