Christian Scientist Seeks to Reunite Son and Father Accused of Sexual and Physical Abuse Stirs Up Dispute in Colorado

A Christian preacher trying to reunite sons with their father, accused of trying to drown their older brother and sexually abusing their sisters, has caused a major controversy in Colorado.

The children’s mother, Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins, is accusing the therapist—Christine “Chris” Bassett, a licensed marriage and family therapist at Lighthouse Christian Counseling—of abusing her sons in therapy. And Pickrel-Hawkins is refusing to cooperate with court-ordered treatment, according to the Denver Gazette.

Because of her opposition to so-called “reunification therapy,” a judge sentenced Pickrel-Hawkins to seven weeks in jail for contempt. My mother worked two weekends in prison.

But after strong, public protests, the judge suspended his entire sentence during Thursday’s hearing, the Journal reported. He also suspended reunification treatment until after the father’s criminal case was resolved.

Reunification therapy is designed to repair the relationship between a parent and a child who has been separated, often during divorce proceedings. In most cases, it works on the theory of parental alienation, which means that the trusted parent has caused confusion by damaging the child’s mind.

Many experts say that idea is bunk. Additionally, studies have found that reunification therapy harms children in families where domestic violence has occurred. The researchers wrote that the abuser may use therapy to force fearful children to interact.

After news of Pickrel-Hawkins’ jailing broke, lawmakers and dozens of members of the public gathered at the Colorado Supreme Court building, demanding intervention from the high court. most of the government. Fundraising for his legal expenses has raised more than $80,000.

The editor-in-chief of the Gazette, which broke the news, wrote that the article about the controversy “stirred more anger than I have ever seen a story stir.”

On July 29, authorities arrested Hawkins on charges that he raped his daughter, continued to abuse the daughter and his two adopted daughters, and attempted to strangle the son, who now an adult. The abuse reportedly lasted for nearly two decades.

A lawyer for Hawkins did not respond when Roys Report (TRR) reach out to comment. He previously denied the allegations, which come after a two-year investigation, the Gazette reported. Hawkins, a retired Aurora police sergeant, is seeking sole custody of his young sons.

The controversy over the boys’ treatment comes amid growing scrutiny of Colorado’s family court system. A previous ProPublica report found that, among other things, state copyright inspectors who had been charged with domestic violence were advising courts in cases involving domestic violence and child abuse.

After ProPublica’s revelations, the government barred courts from ordering “unification camps,” where a parent and child are separated for weeks, and the child is not allowed contact with the parent he or she trusts.

A lawmaker supporting the law blamed the courts for failing to change and enforce the ban, the Gazette’s editor-in-chief wrote. And the contested concept of parental separation is prevalent in Colorado family court cases.

Hawkins’ attorney tried to discredit Pickrel-Hawkins in court filings, calling her “very manipulative” and saying the allegations were unsubstantiated, according to the Gazette report.

Despite earlier findings from the county’s child protection agency, which reportedly confirmed Hawkins’ sexual abuse of the daughter and physical abuse of the son.

Meanwhile, Pickrel-Hawkins said the two boys had “significant anxiety” and PTSD symptoms worsened after a period of therapy with Bassett, the Journal reported.

An attorney filed a complaint with child protective services against Bassett, alleging abusive and coercive management, according to the Gazette. A representative of Larimer County’s department of human services, which handles child welfare complaints, said TRR that the department was unable to confirm or deny any allegations.

Attorneys for Pickrel-Hawkins did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story. The same goes for Bassett’s office.

Mother accuses Bassett of abuse

In an interview with the Gazette, Pickrel-Hawkins said Bassett’s methods were abusive and wrong.

Pickrel-Hawkins said she told Bassett about the felony charges of child sexual abuse and child abuse against Hawkins. But that same day, Bassett told one of the boys that he needed to forgive his father, Pickrel-Hawkins told the Gazette.

The mother also reported that one of the two boys was found curled up in an infant on the floor of Bassett’s office during a meeting on June 25, four days before their father was arrested. Bassett reportedly told the boy’s mother to stop talking about what was happening to the boy.

The child welfare complaint alleges that Bassett grabbed the other boy’s arm and squeezed it and that he denied the boys water until they gave it to Hawkins, who was present. at that meeting. The complaint also alleges that Bassett barred the boys from having appointments to schedule programs.

Bassett has been with the Focus on the Family Christian Counselor Network for years, a database of licensed counselors that the organization believes are “Christian doctors who will counsel from a biblical perspective.”

His business, Lighthouse Christian Counseling, prides itself on helping people “deal with life’s challenges according to your faith.” Bassett’s profile says he attends Vintage City Church, a non-denominational church in the area.

Bassett was disciplined by the Colorado licensing board in 2021 for violating professional ethics, records show. Of the 1,929 marriage and family therapists licensed in Colorado, only 42 have reported disciplinary hearings, according to a list by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations.

On Thursday, Pickrel-Hawkins’ lawyer again accused Bassett in court of wrongly convincing a mother that the father of her children was her safe co-parent. In that case, the father killed the children, aged 8 and 6, before taking his own life in December 2022, the Gazette reported.

The judge on Thursday reportedly asked Bassett if he had ever “impaired the safety of a parent.” His answer: “I believe that may have happened.”

Sarah Einselen is an award-winning writer and editor based in Texas.