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Father’s Day Approaches

Seeing the Father’s Day cards in the shops is a cruel reminder of a painful truth: a vulnerable young person has been taken from her family, manipulated and isolated. Lizzie was deeply loved and happy. She was secure in her relationships, grounded in her family, and embraced by a supportive network. Lizzie was diagnosed with FASD. Lizzie was Lizzie.

And then, she was gone.

Since her disappearance, we’ve received no cards or messages from her on Christmas, birthdays, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. This cold silence is most chilling, as it reveals the active role Coral and Lewis play in keeping Lizzie isolated.

If they behaved normally – if they cared at all – you might expect some gesture of basic decency. Even if Lizzie were upset with us, surely someone would urge her: “Come on, Lizzie, it’s Christmas. At least send a quick text to your mum and dad.” And if she still refused, maybe they’d message us themselves, saying, “We tried.”

Nothing.

From the very beginning, when Lewis was overheard in class at Linkage College bragging that, once Lizzie turned eighteen, he and his mother would take her to live with them and she would never see her family again, this total isolation has been part of a long-standing plan. The Wilson-Clark plan.

So no, I don’t expect a card or message this Father’s Day. And that breaks my heart. Lizzie and I had no issues – none. She was my only child, and I was her dad. That bond has been deliberately severed.​_

But that cruelty only strengthens my resolve. I will not abandon my daughter.

At the meeting with Melanie Onn MP earlier this month, Melanie asked “Is Lizzie still going to Linkage?” “Yes, I believe so,” I replied. “Well, at least she’s still seeing the people there, then,” Melanie said.

Whoopee do.

Meeting With Focus Adult Social Work

If you listened to the podcast, you might remember that I repeatedly tried to meet face-to-face with Gary Atkinson from Focus Adult Social Work, but he often refused rudely and brusquely. He shifted from delaying tactics to outright refusal. “I’ll meet you when I’m ready,” he said, but he was never ready, and I never met him. For nearly two years, my repeated attempts were dismissed, despite all guidelines and recommended practices promoting engagement with those with lived experience.

However, I have now been invited to a meeting with a senior member of Focus, scheduled for the end of June. Legal representation is advised. But, I do not want legal representation there. This isn’t a legal dispute. This is a safeguarding crisis: my daughter is being manipulated and exploited. I simply want the statutory agencies to do their jobs.

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Thank you for reading. If you have any insights, comments or advice, please feel free to add them below.