My name is Theodora Antar and I am a 32 year old mother of two girls, Angelina and Julianna. On May 25th, 2023, four days after her fourth birthday, Angelina was unlawfully, unconstitutionally, suddenly, and without warning, transferred from the custody of her mother to her father, Matthew John Lodice, of Waterbury, CT in the middle of a 2 hour hearing at the New Haven Superior Court in New Haven, CT, USA.

The basis of this sudden and unwarranted custody switch was the personal opinion of the judge, Jane Kupson Grossman, that the mother, Theodora Antar, had “lied” about ongoing allegations that her daughter Angelina had come forward with regarding the fact that she was being sexually abused by her brother who is 13 years older than her. In spite of the parents having a “right of first refusal” clause in their custody agreement, the father, Matthew John Lodice, would insist on leaving Angelina under the care of his teenage son during his weekend visitation time, so that he could sustain his work and social schedule with his son acting as Angelina’s “free babysitter”.

In October of 2022, Angelina made her first disclosures that Matthew’s son Dominic was sexually abusing her while she was under his care. I immediately contacted the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, who then contacted the New Britain Police Department, and scheduled Angelina to attend her first forensic interview at the Yale Child Abuse Clinic on 10/31/22. At that interview, Angelina was asked only one question: “Is there anywhere on your body that nobody else is allowed to touch?” In short, they were attempting to ask her in a complicated way “Do you have any private parts?” Angelina, who was 3 at the time, responded by saying “No.”

At that point, the New Britain Police Department, specifically detective Lisa R. Steeves, who was present at the forensic interview, made the decision to immediately end the forensic interview, and to immediately close the police investigation. She closed the investigation and labeled it as “no disclosure” and that the abuse was “unsubstantiated” in spite of the fact that Angelina had been acting out sexual acts on her stuffed animals and I had sent video evidence of this, which has since been posted to my TikTok page, to the police. Detective Steeves insisted on closing the investigation and stated that, in spite of the fact that Angelina had named her brother Dominic as the abuser, that they would not interview Angelina or Dominic, in case there was any “future disclosures” that they were afraid of “tainting any future investigations”.

 I was then forced to resume sending Angelina to her father’s for his weekend visits from 11/1/23 until 2/1/23, when Angelina made her second disclosure, this time, as seen in a TikTok video which has close to 200,000 views currently, she is doing sexual acts on a toy and when I asked what she is doing she said “I am doing what Dominic does to me.” I immediately contacted my family law attorney at the time, Attorney Don Cretella, who had his secretary, Alexandra Warzocha, advise me to “do what I felt was best as a mother” and told me that I could contact DCF or the police, and that they would once again open an investigation. I contacted DCF and they assigned the investigation to the same detective, Lisa R. Steeves of the New Britain Police Department.

They scheduled Angelina for her second forensic interview to take place at the Yale Child Abuse Clinic for 3/3/23. In spite of the fact that Angelina had been doing these acts on her stuffed animals, and in spite of the fact that I had asked that as an ADA accomodation for her adjustment disorder that she be permitted to bring her stuffed animal to the forensic interview so she could show them “what Dominic does to her”, Yale refused to allow any accommodations and stated that “no toys were allowed” and that she would be expected to answer questions in a forensic interview that are the same questions that all children from age 3-17 are expected to answer. They do not allow leading questions and the manner in which the questions are asked can be confusing for young children, especially those with intellectual disabilities like my then 3-year old daughter.

As a law student, I attempted to advocate for my child using my knowledge about the law, yet I was treated in a condescending manner by all involved, particularly Detective Steeves, who herself has no children. In the second interview, Angelina disclosed that Dominic “sits on her and has her sit on him”. In spite of this, Detective Steeves once again closed the investigation, stating that, even though Angelina had been doing sexual acts on her toys and saying she was “sitting on them like Dom sits on me”, that she would not interview Dominic or investigate further because “Dominic might just say they were wrestling.” On 5/23/23, upon advisement of Angelina’s pediatrician at Preferred Pediatrics LLC, in Milford, CT, I took Angelina to the emergency room after she complained of genital and abdominal pain. She made another disclosure to the PA at the Connecticut Children’s Hartford Hospital, where she told them that “Dominic is the one who does it to me. Mommy told me nobody would be mad at me if I told you.”

Then, 2 days later, on 5/25/23, Jane Kupson Grossman accused me of lying about the sexual abuse, in spite of her never seeing a single medical record, a single video, or any other evidence that clearly shows Angelina being sexually abused by the brother. It has been a full year, and after Jane Grossman put in an order that only I was required to ask her permission before filing ANY other future pleadings of motions, she has blocked me from any and all access to the courts for 12 straight months, while leaving Angelina in the sole custody of Matthew and his son Dominic. Matthew removed Angelina from school and stated that she would be babysat by Dominic full time in lieu of her educational child care program. In the last year, I have seen her less than three total days. Matthew told her she is never allowed to see me again, and I have not seen her since 3/7/24.

Angelina’s case was never properly investigated, and Detective Steeves closed 4 open investigations without ever once even meeting my daughter. I am asking that everyone please contact the New Britain Police Department and the State of Connecticut and DEMAND that they reopen this investigation into the sexual abuse of my daughter. If we get enough signatures, the police said they will reopen the investigation. Please sign and make a difference in keeping Angelina safe. Thank you so much.