When I went through custody with my ex I just wanted to reach out and strangle the judge and the mediator "don't you understand that this man is abusive!?!?! Why are you giving him so much custody?!?!
Unfortunately, with all the need for father's rights, it has turned around the other way now and many abusive fathers are now getting rights they shouldn't have simply because the courts see the ex-wife as "trying to keep the kids from him". Well, of course she is doing that! He is abusive!
Not all cases, of course.... but this scenario is an awful reality. It is my reality =(