thefiveofus
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Idaho
My daughter asked me how old she needs to be in order to bring a civil suit against her father for all the physical, verbal, and emotional abuse she endured from him? We are divorced and he no longer has any rights, but I told her I would ask. She is a very angry 16 year old that has been through years of counselling in order to learn how to cope with her painful history. He was charged several times with child abuse and the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back put her life endanger (out in summer desert heat for hours (100+ degrees) with no shelter, water, or supervision locked in the backyard). Even with a comformation of this from her father, the state (not Idaho) didn't charge him with child endangerment because it was the word of a 10 y.o. against his word (meaning he admitted, but grossly minimized it). The judge removed his rights because she couldn't "in good concience" allow him to retain his rights. (I'm not even going into the objects used to beat her and the shower head he used to spray large amounts of water into her mouth to quiet her screams and such by him....her report....she was in his care at the time) She is old enough to remember and be angry that he "got away with it" in her mind and he still tries to call and harass her. How should I answer her? What rights does she have to find some sort of "justice" in her own mind? Her words..."he's out walking around like he did nothing and calls to remind me that I made him do it and says I'm lying in the same breath. He belongs behind bars. I know that won't happen, so can I sue him?"
My daughter asked me how old she needs to be in order to bring a civil suit against her father for all the physical, verbal, and emotional abuse she endured from him? We are divorced and he no longer has any rights, but I told her I would ask. She is a very angry 16 year old that has been through years of counselling in order to learn how to cope with her painful history. He was charged several times with child abuse and the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back put her life endanger (out in summer desert heat for hours (100+ degrees) with no shelter, water, or supervision locked in the backyard). Even with a comformation of this from her father, the state (not Idaho) didn't charge him with child endangerment because it was the word of a 10 y.o. against his word (meaning he admitted, but grossly minimized it). The judge removed his rights because she couldn't "in good concience" allow him to retain his rights. (I'm not even going into the objects used to beat her and the shower head he used to spray large amounts of water into her mouth to quiet her screams and such by him....her report....she was in his care at the time) She is old enough to remember and be angry that he "got away with it" in her mind and he still tries to call and harass her. How should I answer her? What rights does she have to find some sort of "justice" in her own mind? Her words..."he's out walking around like he did nothing and calls to remind me that I made him do it and says I'm lying in the same breath. He belongs behind bars. I know that won't happen, so can I sue him?"