Voices Against Violence | Southwest Connector

CAUGHT BETWEEN

She lived in Minnesota for only five months and her daughter was born in Iowa, but Dani* has been dragged into family court in Minnesota nearly every one of the past 11 years by her ex-boyfriend. … more

By Tesha M. Christensen | 6/6/23

Colorado becomes the first state to limit court use of family reunification camps

A bill signed into law this week in Colorado prohibits family courts from ordering children to participate in reunification programs that isolate them from a trusted caregiver. Many of these programs … more

by Hannah Dreyfus | 6/3/23

A court ordered siblings to a reunification camp with their estranged father. The children say it was abusive.

One Thursday afternoon in December, a father and two of his estranged children boarded a flight from Salt Lake City to Texas, beginning an effort to repair their fractured relationship. A family … more

by Hannah Dreyfus | 6/3/23

Judge pauses order to return siblings to father they say abused them

After two months barricaded in a bedroom to defy a court order directing them to be returned to the custody of their father, who they say abused them, Utah siblings Ty and Brynlee Larson emerged … more

by Hannah Dreyfus | 6/3/23

Colorado suspends one family court custody expert, reviews all custody evaluators following ProPublica investigation

The Colorado courts have suspended a well-known custody evaluator and launched a review of the entire state-approved roster, following a ProPublica investigation that found some evaluators had … more

by Hannah Dreyfus | 6/3/23

A custody evaluator who disbelieves 90% of abuse allegations recommended a teen stay under her abusive father’s control

Elina Asensio had a restraining order in place against her father when she met with a court-appointed psychologist assigned to determine whether he should be part of her life. She expected Mark … more

by Hannah Dreyfus | 6/3/23

A SAFER APPROACH FOR CUSTODY CASES

Who’s right? Who’s wrong? And how does it affect the kids?Figuring out family dynamics in custody cases can be tricky, but the Battered Women’s Justice Project (BWJP) in St. Paul … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 9/29/22

Autumn holds her new baby sister, Delylah. (Photo courtesy of Kelsey Kruse)

FAILED BY FAMILY COURT

Helpless and hopeless.That’s how Kelsey Kruse felt for years as she tried to co-parent with her ex and his wife, Brett and Sarah Hallow.And then one day, she got the call she was scared … more

By Tesha M. Christensen | 4/28/22

‘I RAN’

At 25, Sarah* doesn’t speak to her dad. And she points the finger squarely at him and how he treated her before and after her parents’ divorce.She knows that people often blame mom when a … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 1/25/22

Jerrod Brown, a professor at Concordia University in St. Paul, is the program director for a master of arts degree in human services with an emphasis in forensic behavioral health.

Professor gives tips to helpers on how to help families affected

Like many issues, domestic abuse situations have only been heightened by COVID-19. Jerrod Brown, a professor at Concordia University and program director for the Master of Arts degree in human … more

By Jan Willms | 11/30/21

They took her children away

When Starr Jones* tells her story, people can’t believe this is happening in Minnesota. They can’t believe that the dad was investigated by child protection when their first daughter was … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 10/28/21 | 2 comments

'She must have done something wrong'

Broke. Homeless. And in danger of losing custody of her children. That’s where Bonnie Roy found herself while trying to get a divorce in Minnesota 10 years ago. Because of her own … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 10/2/20

Voices against violence: mired in the courts

Editor's note: Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, this column by a local resident is being run anonymously. Like most people who have experienced intimate partner violence, I was not … more

10/2/20

You don’t have to leave to seek help

Local and national staff, along with Carmen Yulín Cruz (mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico), and Teresa Rodriguez, from Univision, who served as the emcee of Casa de Esperanza’s 35th Anniversary … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 7/29/20

Letters to the Editor Feb 2020

We are not believed about our own lives Dear Editor: Thank you for interviewing Leigh Ann Block and, presumably, believing her story. Unlike the lawyers, judges and social workers who cared … more

2/11/20

What we've learned: Highlights from Intimate Partner Homicide Report

DIVING DEEPER Now in its 30th edition, the Femicide Report has a new name: the Intimate Partner Homicide Report coinciding with the renaming of the Minnesota Battered Women's Coalition to Violence … more

2/11/20

Assume mothers get custody of kids in domestic abuse cases? Think again.

Over the past 40-year history, the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women (MCBW) has witnessed huge changes in how society thinks about domestic violence but there is still more work to be … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 2/11/20

‘It should never have happened’

Mother warned officials ex-husband was dangerous before he killed child and himself By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN Mikayla Olson Tester might be a happy 21-year-old woman today if the family court … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 12/29/19

‘No one will believe you’

Abused for years by her dad and a troubled system, Renee and mom are finally free Renee and mother Nadine fought for some normalcy during her childhood despite her father's abuse. Today, they are … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 12/1/19

After 50 years, she’s encouraging others

Editor’s note: The text below was from a speech Nadine wrote and gave at two Twin Cities churches during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We have used just her original first name and not her … more

12/1/19