Mother Jailed After Refusing To Let Sons Attend Therapy With Father Who’s Accused Of Sexual Assault

A Colorado mother is spending weekends in jail after she refused to comply with a court’s order for two of her sons to attend therapy sessions with their father, a former police officer who has been charged with sexually and physically abusing some of their six children.

Democratic state lawmakers and advocates are now speaking out against family reunification therapy, a court-ordered practice meant to rebuild a relationship between a child and their non-preferred parent following a contentious divorce or allegations of abuse. Supporters have also raised more than $75,000 to support the legal fight of 48-year-old Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins, who is seeking attorneys to help her through custody proceedings as well as the criminal case against her ex-husband. After she objected to the two boys, ages 10 and 13, meeting with their father under the supervision of a counselor, a judge ordered her jailed for contempt.

Meanwhile, her ex-husband, Michael Hawkins, was released with a GPS ankle monitor after posting a $50,000 surety bond on Aug. 2.

The Denver Gazette first reported on Pickrel-Hawkins’ story and documented the emotional morning when she reported to jail — one of seven weekends the Gazette said she has been sentenced to serve.

“The charge came out of the concern that I raised for my children’s welfare and their well-being. And I objected to the results that were happening,” Pickrel-Hawkins said at a rally on Thursday .

Hawkins, 55, was once hailed as a hero following the 2012 mass shooting at an Aurora movie theater that left 12 dead. But after allegations of violence on the job and reported medical issues, he retired. According to a heavily redacted arrest warrant obtained by HuffPost, others close to him said he’d