Arizona Parents Break Their Silence: Family Court Abuse Testimonies Echo Nationwide, Part Two

America's Family Court Crisis: Dr. Lyle Rapacki Interviews Parents, Professionals and Children from AZ JOINT LEGISLATIVE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON FAMILY COURT ORDERS, Part Two

Jul 20, 2025

PHOENIX, Ariz. — In the second installment of Arizona Today’s on-location special, host Dr. Lyle Rapacki gathered more than a dozen parents and a live audience inside a Phoenix church to confront what they say is a systemic crisis in Arizona’s family courts. For the first time, a now-adult survivor joined the panel—describing, in gripping detail, a court-ordered abduction and what was called “court-sponsored child trafficking” and “judicial tyranny.”

The episode features parents and children who have testified before the Arizona Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Family Court Orders and unveils chilling claims of forced reunification programs, secretive out-of-state child transfers, and financial retaliation against protective parents.

One of the most harrowing testimonies comes from 20-year-old Victoria “Tori” Nielsen, who was 16 when a family court judge ordered her into a so-called “reunification camp.” Without warning, she was transported across state lines to California, stripped of her belongings, and forcibly separated from her mother.

Tori's experience echoes a national outcry recently spotlighted in the Wall Street Journal’s investigative report, “A Court-Ordered Therapy That Separates Kids From a Parent They Love Stirs a Backlash,” which exposed how family courts across the country are placing children into controversial programs—often against their will and in defiance of abuse allegations. The article underscores what Arizona families have been sounding the alarm about for years: that “reunification therapy” is being weaponized as a tool of retaliation against protective parents, not a path to healing.

What began as a state-level inquiry has now sparked interest in at least six other states. And as Rapacki and the panel notes, this isn’t just an Arizona problem—it’s a national crisis.

Behind each story lies a pattern: protective parents—often mothers—punished for reporting abuse. Children removed from safe homes and placed with abusive parents. Mental health “interventionists” and minors’ counsel allegedly operating with unchecked power—and profiting from prolonged trauma.

“What you’re hearing examples of — is not just here,” Rapacki says. “It’s happening in six other states. We now know it’s happening in California, Florida, Idaho, Wisconsin, Texas, and beyond. And what we’re learning is horrifying.”

Stay tuned for more coverage as Arizona’s legislative hearings continue to expose what parents and whistleblowers nationwide are calling a crisis of constitutional proportions.

If you have had similar experiences within the California family court system, please contact this reporter ASAP.

Are you committed to protecting America’s children and restoring integrity to our legal system?

Contact your legislative representatives. Speak out. Reach out to media outlets. And vote.

Whistleblowers and victims of family court, CPS, probate court, or foster care corruption anywhere in the U.S.—please contact this reporter at juliea005@proton.me.

Together, we can ignite a national movement and create lasting change.

Julie M. Anderson-Holburn is a California-based investigative journalist reporting on criminal and family court corruption, judicial abuse, and systemic failures. Her work is published on NewsBreak, Substack, and The Family Court Circus, and has been featured by the Center for Judicial Excellence and National Safe Parents. Julie believes that exposing the truth is the first step toward meaningful reform.

This article was made possible by the support of readers like you. Thank you.

Julie M. Anderson-Holburn

Arizona Parents Break Their Silence: Family Court Abuse Testimonies Echo Nationwide, Part Two

America's Family Court Crisis: Dr. Lyle Rapacki Interviews Parents, Professionals and Children from AZ JOINT LEGISLATIVE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON FAMILY COURT ORDERS, Part Two

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