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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Ariel Bogle

The rise of a ‘dangerous’ ideology among parents is causing havoc in custody disputes

Illustration of scales breaking in shadow of child holding adult's hand
Pseudolaw ideas about children and the family court are shared openly in groups on the messaging app Telegram, and taught in online Zoom sessions. A common thread is the claim that children are property. Illustration: Victoria Hart/Guardian Design

During the pandemic, Alia’s* former partner started sending “long-winded rants” via text message. Covid-19 wasn’t real. Stay-at-home rules were unlawful, he told her, and he took their children to anti-lockdown protests. He started to share what she later realised were “sovereign citizen” or pseudolaw ideas.

“He wouldn’t follow anything that the government was saying because ‘it’s not a genuine law, it’s illegal, it’s treason, and it’s all a scam that’s designed to try to bring in the new world order’,” she said.

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