Opinion ID: 2607111
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: serious emotional harm to the child

Text: The provision of ICWA applicable to the consideration of whether termination of an Indian's parental rights is warranted because of the danger of serious emotional or physical harm to a child is found at 25 U.S.C. § 1912(f) which states: No termination of parental rights may be ordered in such proceeding in the absence of a determination, supported by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, including testimony of qualified expert witnesses, that the continued custody of the child by the parent or Indian custodian is likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage to the child. The record shows that the magistrate applied this standard, for he found: The Court finds and concludes that the determination that [the father's] continued custody of [the child] is likely to result in serious emotional damage to the child is supported by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. (R. at 372). Where the burden of proof at trial was beyond a reasonable doubt, we will uphold such a finding on appeal if there was substantial evidence from which a rational trier of fact could have reached its conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Filson, 101 Idaho 381, 386, 613 P.2d 938, 943 (1980). In addition to the expert witness testimony discussed above in section VI, the trial court made factual findings which support its conclusion of likely emotional damage. The trial court found that the mother informed the father of her pregnancy shortly after she learned of her condition, but the father neither offered nor assisted the mother with either the pregnancy or with the medical costs associated with the pregnancy and birth. The trial court found that through conclusion of the trial proceedings the father had never provided any support for the child nor offered to do so. The trial court found that the father is the father of at least six children by four women. All four, including the mother of Baby Boy Doe, two of the father's former wives, and his current wife, testified at trial. The former wives testified as to the father's failure to maintain any regular contact with their children, including his failure to send gifts or post cards. One of the former wives testified that she was the victim of acts of domestic violence by the father in the presence of their children. The testimony provided examples of the father's lack of honesty and integrity, such as borrowing money without returning it, and engaging in affairs during the former marriages. The former wives also testified regarding the effect of the father's actions on their children. One child is afraid of the father. At the time of trial, two sons were in counseling, and one of them was being treated for a serious sexual identity problem. In summary, the trial court found that the father has never provided any financial support for the child nor offered to do so; the father has abandoned and failed to support his other children; the father has made no effort to establish a relationship with the child; the father committed acts of domestic violence against the mother of three of his other children in the children's presence; the father is not honest in his personal affairs and lacks integrity; the father's conduct has confused, hurt, and angered his other children. These subsidiary findings seem amply supported by the evidence. [1] On the record before us, we conclude that the trial court could rationally have found beyond a reasonable doubt that continued custody by the father is likely to cause serious emotional damage to the child.