Sophia and Madeline Clever, two innocent children, were forcibly removed from their school by police upon their father’s demand. Their father, a medical physician with a documented history of aggressive behavior, has them living in a harmful environment, filled with physical abuse and even denying them of proper meal schedule. Presently, they are banned from contacting their mother, the safe harbor of their lives, and can only see her twice a week under supervised visitation.

For children who were abruptly uprooted from a safe and loving environment, this is terrifying. Their lives have spiraled down into an abyss of despair and fear. Their welfare is suspended in a system that continues to place profits over the well-being of these children, a problem which is not unique to this case. A study in 2012 showed that 58,000 children are ordered into unsupervised contact with physically or sexually abusive parents following divorce in the United States (Saunders, 2013).

This situation echoes the desperation of thousands of children who are victims of familial circumstances and the court's disregard for their safety. As advocates for change in the family court system, it is tragic to witness children being placed with abusers, while supposed caregivers profit from their misery. The defense of "alienation" is often used to shift children away from their safe homes — a phenomenon that needs urgent addressment.

Children like Sophia and Madeline should not be tossed into the tempest of danger. They deserve to be listened to, believed, and protected. This petition calls for Sophia and Madeline's immediate return to their mother and for a comprehensive reform of the family court system to ensure the safety and well-being of children are truly paramount. We demand that the courts uphold the rights of the child over any alleged parental "rights". Let’s fight to give Sophia, Madeline, and others in their situation, the safety and love they deserve. Sign this petition.