Broken Fathers Podcast
The Broken Fathers Podcast, founded by Australian veteran Jared "Purcy" Purcell, provides a platform for fathers to share their struggles, expose flaws in Australia’s outdated Family Court system, and advocate for change.
Purcy decided to create a podcast to establish a platform where fathers can feel comfortable to share there horrific experiences about the outdated Family Court system of Australia. He intends to lay bare the twisted system, by sharing the experiences of other broken fathers; to heal, to learn, and to raise awareness to end this injustice against men.
Jared’s a proud father, who has been completely broken by his experiences with the outdated Family Court system.
Good and loving fathers should never have to fight strangers in court, for the basic right to be a part of, and parent their own children.
Broken Fathers Podcast
Episode 10 - Warwick Knowles - My EX used the System to Take my Kids off me
Episode 10
Guest - Warwick Knowles
On the tenth episode, I had a very moving conversation with Warwick, a 42-year-old father from Wollongong who has been managing his family's locksmith business for the past two decades. He was joined by his partner Yasenka, who works as a teacher.
Warwick recounted his upbringing, with his father in the army and his mother as a nurse. He also spoke candidly about the profound impact of his brother's passing in 2003 on himself and his family.
He described the life-changing experience of his son's birth in 2010, a sentiment I know many fathers can relate to. Three years later, in 2013, the arrival of his daughter brought another unique set of experiences.
Later in 2018, Warwick met his current partner, who has three children from a previous marriage. Yasenka also shared her experiences of supporting Warwick through an ongoing court process and the toll it took on her and her children. She discussed the challenges of navigating different household rules with her and Warwick children.
Warwick reflected on a moment when he saw a TikTok video of his daughter and felt a disconnect, realizing he no longer knew who she was.
Both Warwick and Yasenka spoke about the seemingly endless court-mandated requests and courses, which often felt disregarded by the judge even upon completion. They detailed the significant sacrifices they made for the children, including selling their home and relocating to be closer to their school.
Like every other father I've had on, Warwick also faced allegations that he was unsafe around the kids. Warwick shared the difficult decision he faced to step back, even though he drives past them daily, grappling with the possibility that his children might not want to see him.
He openly discussed the emotional toll of these experiences, admitting to feeling broken and even reaching a point of considering suicide, alongside struggles with heavy drinking and significant weight gain. Yasenka described this as a damaging cycle caused by the family court, that also added more stress at home when their new baby was born.
Ultimately, this insightful episode concluded with Warwick and Yasenka offering advice to other couples navigating challenging family situations, hoping to help them avoid the difficulties of family court. They both end the episode with a deeply moving message for their children.