A mother separated from her children for nearly six years due to a court order based on evidence from an unregulated psychologist is set to be reunited with her son in time for Christmas.
A 'Draconian' Order Overturned
The teenager, now 15, was removed from his mother Erin's care along with his sister in 2019. This followed advice given to a family court by Melanie Gill, an unregulated psychologist, who claimed the mother had 'turned the children against their father'. The judge imposed a no-contact order, which Erin described as 'unthinkably draconian'.
The siblings were sent to live with their father. However, the boy recently ran away and hired a lawyer to launch a legal bid at the High Court. This coincided with new guidance stating experts should not be used to look for parental alienation.
Evidence Deemed 'Unreliable'
At a hearing this year, Mrs Justice Lieven said the original no-contact order was 'very heavily based' on Gill's evidence. She ruled the boy should stay with a family friend and resume contact with his mother.
The case forms part of a wider scandal concerning unregulated psychological evidence in family proceedings. A High Court ruling earlier this year raised significant concerns after finding Gill's evidence in another case 'unreliable' and stating it 'should not have been relied upon'. In that instance, Gill had labelled a mother a 'narcissist', leading to two children being removed from her care for years.
National Scandal and Calls for Review
According to a joint investigation by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Tortoise Media, Gill claims to have provided evidence in around 200 cases. Her advice has led to at least 12 children being taken away from their mothers.
In a separate case last month, Mrs Justice Judd also threw out Gill's testimony, ruling it failed to meet necessary evidential standards. The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales has since called for a review of all cases where Gill's evidence led to children being removed from a parent.
Erin's lawyer stated the family court's reliance on advice from unregulated experts was a 'developing national scandal'.
An Emotional Reunion After Six Years
Erin had a short visit from her son in November, their first meeting since he was nine years old. She told reporters: 'Seeing him again was amazing. He was very clingy and kept saying "I love you and I’ve missed you". It was very moving.'
She added: 'He went away as a little boy and he’s come back as this big strapping lad with this deep voice.' Police later took him away due to the existing order, and he was placed in foster care after refusing to return to his father.
Erin has separately applied to re-open the findings from the original court case six years ago, as her son prepares for a Christmas reunion he feared would never happen.
