Spousal abuse and running away

[Noctleigh]

Here's the problem. I don't know what sort of legal ramifications or in depth processes on how this is handled.

Boston is in an abusive marraige. Her daughter, Augusta, is already in college and supporting herself, and Pierre is still at home(14 years old). Graham, her doctor husband, pushes her into a glass table one day, and she gashes her back bad enough for Graham to have to give her stitches. Not bothering to find out the right way to go about this, she brings Pierre to her mothers and insists that it will only be for the day. She packs her bags, moves in with her brother, and doesn't want anyone to know where she is at.

Little of this scenario makes its way to the actual book(because the book itself is based on her brother and his love life). Boston will get a new life in New York City, where she can disappear with no problem. Augusta will grow to resent men. Graham will fight Boston's mother for custody of Pierre and win, eventually moving out west with him. (of course, that's the arc over all three books).

My questions are on the legal side of this. How far would the police go in handling this? Would she be considered a missing person? Would she deal with any legal ramifications if Graham makes no demands on her? What would happen with Pierre right off the bat? What would Boston have to do to take herself off the grid? Get out of her marraige without confronting Graham?

I'd greatly appreciate it.

[bodwen]

My mother used to work for a detective.  I'm not 100% sure, but as a grownup Boston is allowed to come and go as she pleases.  The cops will wait until she's been missing for 24 hours before she is considered a missing person.  If they found her, they'd ask her to come home.  If she said no, they'd just turn and walk away.   

But keeping Pierre from his father without involving the courts is abduction.

[bodwen]

Also Graham can divorce Boston on grounds of abandonment.  All he has to do is prove that he tried his best to establish contact with her prior to filing the papers.  Usually this was done by putting an ad in the local newspaper.

But again, this was a long time ago, so double check how the laws work in Graham's state.

[Noctleigh]

Graham and Boston were married in PA, but the laws will change by the time their story gets told.

What I mean is the bulk of the book takes place 20 years in the future.

[JeanneT]

I think you need to deal with why she doesn't report this abuse. She would certainly be in a position that would give her the ability and right to do that and to divorce this abusive man, getting custody. Why would she leave a child to be raised by an abuser?

She sounds pretty seriously disturbed if she would handle the situation this way.