Dear Mrs Macaulay, I write to you with a heavy heart and because my mother is unable to. My parents have been in a toxic relationship for years and I fear if it continues, it may result in my mother losing her life. This relationship has resulted in numerous medical issues from stress for her. My mother is a religious, hardworking woman, while my father could be described as a spawn of the devil. For the past 10 years he has not held a job and continues to party heavily. He fathered a child/children outside their marriage. I’ve now been informed that he’s bringing his child occasionally to my mother’s house, often leaving the child there for her to take care of. He does not ask permission and has thrown her into the role of stepmother without consent.

With him being unemployed, my mother is now the breadwinner for him and his activities. He also grocery shops from her pantry, often leaving with bags of items and filling up buckets of water to take to his other woman. He’s also talking about removing furniture from her home to give to his love child.

My mother is a kind and loving person and I can no longer stand by and watch her suffer. Please advise us on the best way forward because she’s a scared woman. He also makes threats about how he knows all the gunmen in the community.