A Disgrace to Journalism and to the world of Domestic Violence
Note from Tina: To my OMB Community: I am asking that you take a stand. This week, an article was published in Toronto Life about the heart-breaking murder of Keira (#forlittlekeira). I refuse to share the link to the story because I refuse to give this garbage any traction. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Jennifer Kagan-Viater and her sweet little angel, Keira, this is their story as told by a real journalist.
In the article (that shall not be named) by Rachel Heinrichs, she set us back decades in the world of domestic violence awareness, post-separation abuse and family court advocacy. I literally sat at my desk with tears streaming as I read her words - trying to give a voice to a psychopathic murderer. She used pictures of Jennifer designed to make her look cold, icy and like she was part of the conflict. She used pictures designed to portray the murderer as loving and charming. She discussed how he “bundled Keira up” before driving her to to Rattlesnake Point and throwing her off a cliff.
This is my open request for Toronto Life to do the right thing - retract this article.
I will now share my letter to the “journalist” and her editor and executives - I ask that you also write them and share the realities of how narcissists and psychopaths weaponize the family court system and, our children.
Open Letter to Toronto Life and Rachel Heinrichs
To: rachelheinrichs@gmail.com
CC: elandu@torontolife.com; veronicamaddocks@gmail.com; sfulford@torontolife.com
Subject: Journalism Failure - Rachel Heinrichs (Toronto, Canada)
My name is Tina Swithin - I am an author and family court advocate based in California however, my work and my platform reaches the far corners of the world. For the past decade, I have dedicated my life to advocacy work in the family court system. I have spent ten years helping to educate people on the reality that it takes one toxic person (typically a narcissist or psychopath) to create a high-conflict child custody battle.
When someone leaves an abusive relationship, they have a false sense of hope that they will be safe. We have so many resources available to victims of domestic violence yet these victims are not prepared for the two new types of abuse that they will inevitably encounter: post-separation abuse and the family court system. When the relationship ends, the abuser loses the power and control that they had over their victim. To regain that power and control, they weaponize the children and the court system.
Rachel- the article that you wrote about Jennifer Kagan-Viater's case is a disgrace to those of us who work in domestic violence advocacy and family court advocacy. This article perpetuates the misinformation and stereotypes that we have all worked so hard to dismantle. I had tears streaming down my face as I read your words because with each paragraph, I felt as though I was being punched in the gut.
Jennifer was not a participant or a litigant in a custody battle - she and her daughter are victims of a psychopath. You have single-handedly done so much damage to Jennifer's healing, to precious Keira's story (how dare you!) and to the work that so many of us have dedicated our lives too. Let me tell you something - this murderer didn't deserve to have his photo published, his voice heard or "his side of the story" told. He lost those rights and privileges when he threw a helpless child over a cliff.
He murdered his daughter.
You felt the need to mention that he "bundled her up" before murdering her?
You have failed as a "journalist."
You have failed as a human.
You have failed Keira.
Tina Swithin, Founder of One Mom’s Battle
Words and a petition from Keira’s mom, Jennifer Kagan-Viater:
I would like to comment on @torontolife's inaccurate and quite frankly, dangerous article in the November issue regarding my daughter Keira. I do not endorse this in any way, nor were my contributions included in the article.
I am asking for this article to be retracted and to be given an apology. This is defamatory. I would like to explain further to you about why it is so harmful and dangerous.
The agenda is set at the start - The “Untold Story of Keira Brown.” It’s clear the writer has already sympathized with the perpetrator. She goes on to tell a story. Where does she get this information? Not from me. She has taken my voice out of the story almost entirely.
She misrepresented the direction of the story to me entirely, and you can see this in the messages I've attached on the website below. This misrepresentation continued throughout all of our interactions with her up until the time of publication. She now does not respond.
She has gone through some of the affidavits (which are public record) but not all and she has presented much of her information from my ex husband’s affidavits filled with lies about me or biased court documents from the custody assessor or Justice Gray.
Later in the story she admits that Mr Brown is a fraud who made up his own academic credentials but still puts all his lies into the narrative and portrays the as the truth.
The story now becomes how she has spun it and pure fiction rather than anything even remotely close to the truth.
This article reinforces the very dangerous stereotype of “2 warring parents who just can’t get along” which is damaging to victims of abuse and their children. It portrays 2 combatants in a battle, rather than the truth – a perpetrator using child as tool to exert power and control.
By calling abuse “conflict” this article perpetuates the very Court paradigm that me and many others are advocating needs to change for victims of domestic abuse and their children. This article undoes the work of domestic abuse advocates worldwide. You cannot reason or negotiate with someone whose intention is not the best interest of the child or to come to the table in good faith.
If we have gotten a point in society where crimes are glossed over like this and perpetrators glorified while victims slandered, we have reached a very slippery slope. When people who are trying to do good for children are defamed for the sake of selling magazines.
Yes I will speak out. Yes, I will try to make this right. Yes, I will continue to advocate because no one else is acknowledging systemic failures leading to the death of precious, innocent kids like Keira. #domestichomicideawareness #femicide #domesticviolence #familycourtfailure10/11
Here is the link to the petition and article: www.forlittlekeira.com/media
Please share this if you're inclined. People need to know the truth. Thank you.
