Up to 90% of women escaping an abusive relationship experience post separation abuse. This can take many forms including emotional, psychological, financial, physical and even sexual abuse. However, 'custody stalking', using the family courts to intrude upon the lives of protective parents by weaponising child arrangements, is an incredibly effective, and widespread, tactic of post separation abuse.

Dr Kathryn Spearman from Pennsylvania State University is a leading expert in post separation abuse. In this podcast she explains how her own background as a paediatric nurse and first hand experience of controlling parents refusing lifesaving treatment for their own children, led her to question the legal systems that enable controlling people to harm their own children in plain sight.

She discusses how harmful domestic abuse and coerci ...