A mother was branded ’emotionally abusive’ after teaching her three children to say bad things about their own father.

The mum – who has not been named for legal reasons – even told her children that their father wished to poison them, a family court heard.

She has now lost custody of the three youngsters after a judge told her that her behaviour was ‘psychologically damaging’ to them.

The parents of the three children had divorced but the mother remained bitter towards her ex, the court heard (Picture: DPA)

Judge Charles Atkins said the divorced mother was ‘very hostile and bitter’ towards her ex-husband and as a result had tried to undermine her children’s relationship with him.


In a written ruling he said the children – none of whom have yet reached their teens – had stayed with the mother following their parents divorce but had regularly seen their father.

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Social services at Sutton Council in south London have welfare responsibility for the children and had raised concerns about the effect the mother’s behaviour was having.



The judge said their mother had ‘nothing positive to say’ about their father ‘and many negative things’.

He added: ‘I have come to the conclusion that it is in the best interests of the children for them to be transferred to the care of their father.

‘I am satisfied that this is a mother that has caused, and is like to continue to cause, significant harm to the children, including by actually trying to undermine their relationship with the father.’

Bosses at Sutton Council in south London had stepped in after social workers became concerned for the children (Picture: Google Maps)

The judge – who ordered that the children should not named – said he had to decide what was best for the three youngsters.

‘She repeats false allegations to the children and those allegations are of a serious nature, such as wishing to poison them,’ he said.

‘She regularly coaches the children to say negative things about the father without any justification.’

He concluded: ‘I think her behaviour is emotionally abusive of them and psychologically damaging to them.’

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