Before fleeing Alexandra for Dunedin, Sonya orchestrated a series of bizarre disappearances, forcing her children to hide in their own home. On more than one occasion, she told friends, visitors, and even her employer that the family was going on holiday. In reality, they never left the driveway. She would tell her children there was […]
Read more "The House of Shadows: When a Mother’s Lies Become a Prison"During 2004, life in Christchurch was somewhat stable for Sonya and her two young children. Every week, the kids would visit John—the father of the eldest boy. But of course, this was short lived. One afternoon Sonya pulled her children out of school with a devastating announcement: John was dead. She claimed he had passed […]
Read more "The 12-Year Ghost: The Mother Who Faked a Father’s Death"In October 2015, Sonya’s 18-year-old son and a friend visited her home in North East Valley to see his younger sister. Sonya refused the visit and called the police, alleging she had been placed in an arm lock and claiming her son was intending to kidnap his sister. Her son was later arrested in Invercargill […]
Read more "Allegation vs. Truth"Concerns were raised with Child, Youth and Family (CYF) regarding Sonya’s history of abusive and unfit parenting. However, the investigation was compromised from the start. CYF alerted Sonya to their upcoming house visit, providing her with the perfect window to scrub away the evidence of neglect. Before the social workers arrived, the house underwent a […]
Read more "The Staged Visit: How the System Failed "
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