Madam, - In the needlessly acrimonious family law system, allegations by women of domestic abuse are now commonplace, especially in cases of separation and divorce. The widespread reporting of the allegations made by Heather Mills against her estranged husband Paul McCartney highlights the way in which such allegations of abuse are now used as a routine tactic to gain the upper hand.
The motivation behind such allegations include: a more generous financial settlement, a greater share of the family property, the estrangement of the children from their father and the desire to destroy. Such allegations have devastating consequences for the accused, his reputation and his family. This is abuse in its vilest form.
Elaine Epstein, former president of the Massachusetts Bar Association, has said: "It has become essentially impossible to effectively represent a man against whom any allegation of domestic violence has been made". She added: "In many [ divorce] cases such allegations are used for tactical advantage. . . in these cases the facts have become irrelevant".
Over the years Amen has regularly heard from men against whom such allegations are made. In many instances these unfounded allegations are accepted by judges without any supporting evidence. While Heather Mills has come in for some criticism, the publicity her allegations have attracted may do some good if it causes people to question this unscrupulous tactic, which is successfully used in too many divorce/separation cases. - Yours, etc,
MARY T. CLEARY,
Founder/Co-ordinator,
Amen,
Railway Street,
Navan,
Co Meath.