Boy, 12, in Court Seeking ‘Divorce’ from Parents : Family: Mother denies her son’s allegations of abuse, abandonment. Impact of outcome appears unclear.

A 12-year-old boy went to court Thursday seeking a “divorce” from his parents.

Gregory Kingsley sat in the courtroom with members of the foster family that he hopes to live with permanently.

His mother, Rachel Kingsley, cried as she denied allegations that she abused, neglected and abandoned him for most of his life. In the past eight years, Gregory has lived with her for seven months.

Kingsley, 30, also denied that her fiance, Steve Hack, had recently beaten her in the presence of her two younger sons, who live with her in St. Louis.

A former sister-in-law, Jeanette Glenn, detailed instances of abuse and neglect, accusing Mrs. Kingsley of being an alcoholic, a drug abuser and a prostitute. Glenn said she hoped the younger boys also could be taken from her “because nothing’s going to change. . . . That’s the pattern for her.”

Gregory said he felt unloved and unwanted most of his life. He smiled occasionally in court, chewed on a gum drop and whispered to those around him.

The trial, being heard by a judge without a jury, was shown live on CNN and Court TV. Testimony was heard Thursday and was expected to continue today.

Child welfare advocates and legal scholars said the case could establish a legal precedent, but some said it was unlikely to have much practical effect.

Charmaine Crouse Yoest, policy analyst with the conservative Family Research Council in Washington, said, “The ramifications are huge. . . . You’re looking at a fundamental shift at the way we view children.”

Howard Davidson, director of the American Bar Assn. Center on Children and the Law, said it was unlikely that many children would be hiring lawyers to sever parental custody. He said the Kingsley case was mainly significant because it had attracted so much attention, not vice versa.

Mrs. Kingsley said she tried to provide the boys with a stable home, but was forced to put them in foster care because she could not afford to keep them on a $200-a-week salary.

Under questioning from Gregory’s foster father, attorney George Russ, Mrs. Kingsley denied having a history of alcoholism. Later, she accused Florida social workers of thwarting her attempts to contact Gregory.