Parental Alienation in the Jurisprudence of Portuguese Courts

Dissertação de Mestrado em Ciências Jurídico-Forenses apresentada à Faculdade de DireitoA Alienação Parental é, atualmente, um fenómeno social, jurídico e familiar, que ocorre, geralmente, como um corolário da separação de alguns casais, fruto dos conflitos existentes entre eles, seja num processo de divórcio, pós divórcio ou ainda dentro do próprio casamento ou união de facto. Não obstante, em Portugal ainda não existe uma consagração legal de Alienação Parental, ao contrário do que ocorre em outros sistemas jurídicos, como, por exemplo, no Brasil. Porém, o ordenamento jurídico português prevê, em determinados diplomas legais, mecanismos que regulam as relações entre ex-cônjuges, no que concerne aos filhos em comum e, cujas responsabilidades parentais devem partilhar. Relacionada com a temática em apreço, surge a chamada “Teoria da Síndrome de Alienação Parental”, proposta pelo psiquiatra infantil, Richard Alan Gardner, sendo este o ponto de partida para o estudo da Alienação Parental. A teoria em causa é hoje alvo de várias críticas por parte de alguma doutrina, enunciadas na presente exposição escrita, não sendo reconhecida por parte da comunidade científica. Neste sentido, embora as críticas a si dirigidas, bem como, a escassez legislativa que lhe é dirigida no nosso ordenamento jurídico, a Jurisprudência Portuguesa já menciona esta problemática nos seus acórdãos. Neste segmento, o presente trabalho procedeu a uma recolha jurisprudêncial sobre o modo como os tribunais portugueses tratam a matéria em questão, nos seus múltiplos e variados aspetos (admissibilidade do seu conceito; quem a executa; tipo de atos praticados pelos seus executores, soluções na sua erradicação).Parental Alienation is currently a social, legal and family phenomenon, occurring generally as a corollary of the separation of some couples, as a result of conflicts between them, whether in a divorce process, post divorce or even within the marriage or civil marriage. However, in Portugal there is still no legal conscription of Parental Alienation, contrary to what happens in other legal systems, such as in Brazil. However, the Portuguese legal system provides in certain legal instruments mechanisms that regulate relations between ex-spouses, regarding the children in common and whose parental responsibilities must share. The so-called "Theory of the Parental Alienation Syndrome", proposed by the child psychiatrist Richard Alan Gardner, is the starting point for the study of Parental Alienation. Nowadays, the theory in question is the object of several criticisms by some doctrine, stated in this written exposition, not being recognized by the scientific community. In that regard, although the criticisms leveled at it, as well as at the lack of legislation addressed to it in our legal system, the Portuguese case-law already mentions this problem in its judgments. In this segment, the present work has collected a jurisprudence on how the Portuguese courts treat the matter in its multiple and varied aspects (admissibility of its concept, who executes it, type of acts practiced by its executors, eradication).Parental Alienation is currently a social, legal and family phenomenon, occurring generally as a corollary of the separation of some couples, as a result of conflicts between them, whether in a divorce process, post divorce or even within the marriage or civil marriage. However, in Portugal there is still no legal conscription of Parental Alienation, contrary to what happens in other legal systems, such as in Brazil. However, the Portuguese legal system provides in certain legal instruments mechanisms that regulate relations between ex-spouses, regarding the children in common and whose parental responsibilities must share. The so-called "Theory of the Parental Alienation Syndrome", proposed by the child psychiatrist Richard Alan Gardner, is the starting point for the study of Parental Alienation. Nowadays, the theory in question is the object of several criticisms by some doctrine, stated in this written exposition, not being recognized by the scientific community. In that regard, although the criticisms leveled at it, as well as at the lack of legislation addressed to it in our legal system, the Portuguese case-law already mentions this problem in its judgments. In this segment, the present work has collected a jurisprudence on how the Portuguese courts treat the matter in its multiple and varied aspects (admissibility of its concept, who executes it, type of acts practiced by its executors, eradication)