My experience in family court has been a nightmare. I never thought my disabilities would be used against me, but that’s exactly what happened. 

As an autistic woman with ADHD, the system didn’t see me, didn’t hear me—didn’t care. Instead, they let my ex-partner, who has hurt and manipulated me, use the police and the court to control and terrorize me. 

Every time I walk into that courtroom, I feel small, like my voice doesn’t matter, like I’m already guilty of something I didn’t do, but he’s constantly made false statements to the police. 

They don’t understand my needs, and they don’t want to. I’ve been misjudged, mistreated, and left feeling utterly helpless. My Complex-PTSD screams inside me, but no-one seems to notice. I can’t explain how devastating it is to be constantly misunderstood, fighting against a system that refuses to protect me. 

I am tired. I am scared. I am broken. But I keep fighting because I have to. I have to for my daughter. 

Mum in the United Kingdom

Read by: Cheryl
Created in collaboration with: Sublime Life