Crossing the Line

This is a story of love, compassion and forgiveness; of taking control of your own life and fighting for what you believe in. A story of strength, courage and resilience.

Becoming a single parent is tough enough as it is, but when the police arrest you and throw you in a cell for two-and-a-half days, without questioning, without telling you why; and then social services tell you to sign your children over to them, or they'll take them off you anyway, life takes on a whole new level of crazy; especially when you fight back against the system.

Over the past two years Dawn Bates has had insights into the darker depths of the policing and justice system that operates on the West Coast of Scotland. Seen first-hand the challenges of what it means to be a single parent in today's society, and how the various systems of governance, combined with organisational structure have a debilitating effect on those who are raising children alone; and the stigmatism that goes with it.

This isn't just her story. This is the story of many.