Parental alienation is a form of psychological and emotional child abuse which generally is initiated after the divorce, when one parent (the guardian) starts to disqualify and demoralize the other parent (the alienated), trying to keep the child away from the last one and destroying basic emotional links between them.

On the 26th of August 2010, the Brazilian Parliament ratified a law (Law nº 12.318) against parental alienation, which defines and punishes this act.

To demonstrate that parental alienation is a major cause of distress for the child, independent of the evaluation of sexual abuse. Parental alienation can bring psychosomatic and psychiatric problems as well.

To prevent “alienation” cases which can cause harmful effects in the child's life.

Evalluation of a case report studied by Psychiatrists and Psychologists in Rio de Janeiro. A girl who was taken away from her father by her mother after the divorce, when she was 6 months old. the mother tried to avoid the father's contact with the child, alleging that he sexually abused the kid. Nowadays, the girl hates her father.

It was not possible to conclude if the child was sexually abused or not. But it was clear that the girl was a victim of emotional and psychological abuse.

A child's life can be devastated by parental alienation because of the “loss” of one parent and the negative effects in the development of emotional life. Severe penalties for the parents should be taken to prevent it.