Reporter Laurie Udesky interviewed more than 30 parents and children across the United States in her two-year investigation into systemic problems in the nation’s family courts that are endangering children. Her report for 100Reporters, “Custody in Crisis,” exposed the peril faced by thousands of children nationwide as family courts give custody to sexually and physically abusive parents. Udesky found an alarming lack of accountability in a family court system that too often dismisses credible evidence of abuse, while relying on dubious theories to subvert the protective parents’ credibility.
[Reporting sponsored by the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.]