Vor einigen Wochen hatte eine kanadischer Richter aus dem anhaltenden Umgangsboykott einer Mutter die Konsequenz gezogen: Er schickte sie ins Gefängnis ... !

Der Fall wurde in der kanadische Öffentlichkeit natürlich kontrovers diskutiert. Die feministische Fraktion heulte massiv auf: "Die arme Mutter !"

Das war für eine der führenden kanadischen Zeitungen "Angus Reid Group/Globe and Mail" der Anlaß, eine Bevölkerungsumfrage durchzuführen. Das Ergebnis kann im Original als PDF-Dokument abgerufen werden. Der erste Teil ist auch hier am Ende wiedergegeben.

Die wesentlichen Ergebnisse ins Deutsche übersetzt:

In Deutschland bleibt der Umgangsboykott bis auf wenige Ausnahmen ohne Sanktionen - Justiz und Jugendhilfe sind sich einig: "Da kann man halt nichts machen ...!"

Die Öffentlichkeit wird in diesen Tagen erneut auf das Problem des Umgangsboykotts durch die Aktionen in Berlin, Düsseldorf und Wiesbaden aufmerksam gemacht. Wer führt eine solche Befragung in Deutschland durch?

paPPa.com, im Mai 1998

Auszug aus der Original-Presseveröffentlichung:

– SEVEN IN TEN ONTARIANS BELIEVE WOMEN’S CHILD SUPPORT SHOULD BE WITHHELD IF ACCESS TO CHILDREN IS DENIED –

– ONTARIANS SPLIT ON WHETHER JAIL TERM IS AN ACCEPTABLE PUNISHMENT FOR DENYING ACCESS –

© Angus Reid Group, Inc. Public Release Date: May 25, 1998

This Angus Reid Group/Globe and Mail poll was conducted by telephone between April 22 and May 3rd, 1998 among a representative cross-section of 1,000 Ontarian adults. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Ontario population according to the 1996 Census data. With a national sample of 1,000, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within +3.2 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Ontario population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub- groupings of the survey population.

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– SEVEN IN TEN ONTARIANS BELIEVE WOMEN’S CHILD SUPPORT SHOULD BE WITHHELD IF ACCESS TO CHILDREN IS DENIED –

– ONTARIANS SPLIT ON WHETHER JAIL TERM IS AN ACCEPTABLE PUNISHMENT FOR DENYING ACCESS –

A recent court case in Ontario which saw a woman sent to jail for denying her ex-husband access to their children, coupled with Senate hearings on access and child support payments has prompted this Angus Reid Group/Globe and Mail poll.

Support and Access Seven in ten (71%) Ontarians believe that women who deny their ex-husbands who pay child support, access to their children, even when the access has been ordered by a judge, should have their support payments denied until access is reinstated. The plurality feels quite strongly about this as 47 percent strongly agree with the statement. (Table 1)

While a majority of both men and women share this perspective, it is more prevalent among men. Specifically, one-quarter (75%) of men and two-thirds (67%) of women feel that payments should be withheld until access is reinstated. In addition, this perspective is more prevalent among those with household incomes over $60,000 (77%) than among those with household incomes below $30,000 (68%).

Ontarians split on whether jailing a woman who repeatedly denies access is acceptable Respondents were asked to consider a recent case in Ontario where a woman was sent to jail by a judge because she repeatedly denied her ex-husband access to his child under a court order. They were asked to indicate whether they believe that this form of punishment is acceptable or unacceptable. Ontarians are split in their appraisal of this case. In particular, 46 percent find it acceptable, while 48 percent find it unacceptable. (Table 2)

There is an interesting gender split on these issues whereby a majority of men (57%) find the punishment acceptable while a majority of women (58%) find it unacceptable.