An Italian court has fined a mother 30,000 euros for criticising her ex-husband in front of their son.
The court in Rome heard how the wealthy woman had torn into her former husband in the presence of their child to such an extent that he would no longer meet his father.
In the landmark case the court warned that the mother may also lose her right to custody of her son if she did not make an effort to re-establish the father-son relationship.
The couple, who have not been named, have three children. Their elder children, a boy and a girl, are physically able and good at sports like their father.
While their youngest son, who is 18, is disabled and refuses to interact, engage or meet with his Dad.
The court ruled that the mother had purposefully turned the boy against his father, jeopardising a relationship which would be key to achieving a balanced upbringing for her son.
In order to keep her custody rights the court ruled that she must actively work to build ‘the paternal relationship.’
The father’s lawyer Annamaria Bernardini De Pace said: “All children have a right to two parents and must therefore be able to value both of them.
“Even if one parent disappears or doesn’t pay his or her way, the other parent must not speak badly of them to the children.”
