Parents in Action, a support group for parents, didn’t start with a movement or a mission.

It started with a breakup that slowly turned into something that Pia Rabinson never thought she would survive, a years-long battle over her child that didn’t just play out in courtrooms, but in every part of her life.

She said things escalated when her former partner allegedly took their child from school on two separate occasions and disappeared for weeks at a time.

Read more: Blankets cover Steyn City as community comes together for a good cause

From there, the situation spiralled into years of allegations and counter-allegations. Rabinson maintains she was repeatedly accused of using substances, claims she said were disproven through multiple negative tests. Still, she says the accusations persisted and shifted over time.

When their young son was hospitalised at just under two and a half years old for severe constipation and faecal impaction, a condition Rabinson said is linked to a hereditary issue in her family, she believes it became another turning point in the case.

“Suddenly it was no longer just about custody. It became accusations of neglect and even sexual abuse, which were never true.”

She said those allegations triggered social services involvement, supervised visitation orders, and years of legal scrutiny. Over time, she claims the process became less about resolution and more about repetition, court dates, reports, and mounting legal costs that stretched on for years.

At one point, she said a forensic social worker was appointed. The report, she claims, took nearly a decade to be finalised and ultimately concluded with inconclusive findings. “Inconclusive means I’m not guilty but it also never really ends.”

Also read: Douglasdale police bid farewell to fallen sergeant at Indaba Hotel memorial service

What followed was what felt like an endless cycle of litigation, moving from magistrate’s court to high court, with each ruling leading to another challenge. The financial strain became overwhelming.

“There were moments I felt completely trapped by the system. Not just emotionally, but financially too.”

Today, Rabinson said her son is 12. She said she does not know his exact whereabouts and is still fighting for meaningful contact. One of the most painful moments came earlier this year, during a high court appearance, when she hoped for clarity and closure.

“I was told I might only get minimal contact. And even then, I was waiting for documents that never came.”

That sense of limbo is what pushed her to create something of her own. Parents in Action wasn’t built as an organisation, she explains, but as a space.

Something closer to a support circle than a formal institution. A place for parents, grandparents, and families who feel lost inside custody battles, false allegations, and what she calls courtroom trauma.

Also read: Douglasdale launches 16 Days of Activism with united front against GBV

She said many support groups she encountered were divided and emotionally charged, often pitting mothers against fathers. That wasn’t what she wanted to replicate. “I didn’t want another space filled with anger. I wanted something where people could actually breathe and understand each other.”

Instead, she hopes Parents in Action can offer something more practical and grounding. Guidance, shared experiences, and the kind of preparation she wishes she had when she first stepped into court.

“People walk into these systems completely unprepared, and by the time they understand it, they’re already drowning in it.”

She said the goal now is not just to tell her own story, but to build a space where others feel less alone in theirs.

“If you’re going through this, you’re not the only one. That’s what I want people to know.”

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!