General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Lots of blame for the Mother. Apparently Dad's off the hook , though, [View all]IdaBriggs
(10,559 posts)I responded only to your statement that he didn't "abandon" the marriage. While she initiated the divorce proceedings, he was the guy who screwed around. Alimony doesn't excuse the damage such behavior does to all parties involved, including children.
You take your victims as you find them. Many people don't end up with violence in their family with this type of history. Some do.
I am not privy to this family's private life, but for my money, Dad deserves blame as well as Mom. Perhaps if he had been a better partner with the mother of his children, they would have been able to work together to look out for the best interests of their son, and by extension, the other children in the community.
It is a "moral" judgment, not a legal one. Your opinion my differ.