When art mirrors life...
Lauren had left her husband – he didn’t take it well.
Whether you call it a toxic relationship, coercive control, abuse or anything else,
Lauren’s ex wasn’t planning to let her walk away and take their kids.
So he went in hard with solicitors, social services and massive pressure on Lauren to make out she was a bad mother.
But she’s a great mum with a professional job and lots of responsibility
So it was going ok for Lauren until she moved to a new place
She bought some pictures to brighten it up
She didn’t think about the images, just the colours.
Then he claimed she was a drinker – this was new. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
He suggested she wasn’t fit to look after the children
He said she was an alcoholic
And social services believed him
But she wasn’t a drinker, there wasn’t any booze in the house.
She always fancied a glass of wine before bed, but never had one
Her friends knew she rarely drank, even when the kids were with their Dad
No one had ever seen her drunk
He sent in the police, claiming she was drunk in charge of the kids – she was sober…
But social services still believed him, despite all the evidence to the contrary
The court awarded temporary custody to the man
She was devastated, so were the kids
She called me in
We looked at the art she had chosen, especially the huge painting of wine bottles on the stairs
She took it down and put it by the dustbin.
Someone took it…
She went back to court. The man’s allegations fell apart. The judge called him a liar
The kids came home
They are happy.
