Stop Domestic Violence Against Women and Children

 My name is Olivia. I am 15 years old. A couple years ago my mother decided to divorce my "father" who had been abusive to both me and her,not to mention people around him. I know that emotional abuse may not seem important to someone who has never been through it,but to me emotional abuse can be the worst. My "father" never physically hit my mother with his hand or fist,but throwing things was more his "style."  Anyway, the point in me telling you this is during the divorce my "father" was mean and childish. He lied and twisted words to make my mother look "unfit" to care for me. Fortunately my mother was able to stay strong and keep the faith during the entire 2 and half years this divorce went on. On our journey through one of the most difficult trials of our lives we learned other stories about women that were going through or who had gone through the exact same situations. Their ex or soon to be ex husbands were abusive and the local law enforcement did not care. For example the judge that was over my parents divorce made me go to visitation with my "father" even though I had an active E.P.O. (protection order) against him for threatening to kill my mother. He was dangerous and at any moment he could have "snapped" and hurt me like he had hurt my mother all of those times,but yet I was still forced to go with him. My mother and I both tried in every way to explain to the judge that I didn't want to go,even the lawyers argued with her ruling. I was at the age to where I could decide on who I wanted to live with,but she didn't care. It was wrong and unfair.