Injustice Done To Children And Parents
In the UK, every year, innocent mums are being accused of abusing their children without being given the opportunity to fight their case. However, it turns out that parents have relatively few rights and opportunities to defend themselves once their children have been taken away.
So, what can we do to change the law?
Some mums ARE innocent!
It didn't seem that long ago when it was unheard of to remove children from their mother's custody. Children needed their mothers maybe more than needing their own fathers. So, how could this suddenly be happening?
What about the poor innocent mums who despite protesting loudly at the so-called charges, still lose all rights to their children? Why aren't they given the right and opportunity to fight for their rights to keep their children if taken to court?
The Isle of Squid
Children taken into care statistics
Over the last 10 years the number of children under the age of one month taken into care has increased from 500 to 1,300. Terrifying statistics even though the figure is still relatively low.
Should the UK law be changed...
My opinion is, of course, with John Hemming.
All courts should have a judge and jury.
All those accused of whatever crime should have the right and opportunity to defend themselves against the charges.
As the law stands now, no jury is present in a family court. This means that parents are rarely given the right to defend themselves before the decision to remove their children from their care has been taken.
John Hemming is a Liberal Democrat MP who is campaigning for the law to be changed thus enabling parents to fight for their rights.
Are you with John Hemming or the law as it stands now? Should family courts in the UK be given a Judge and a Jury?
Should the UK law be changed that allows parents to be given a Judge and Jury if their child has been taken away from them?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byThe law should not be changed. It's perfectly okay the way it is.
I'm with John Hemming! It's not fair that parents are not given the chance to fight their case!
Danay Fogel says:
i am being acused of hurting my kid and i wasnt even around her at the time i was working now the state is tryin to take custody of her and i am not able to have any contact with her for a whole month.this is NOT FAIR the person taking care of her is tryin everything to get her to stay with her and nobody will listen to me cause this other lady works for an attorney and i work in a pizza place. wheres the justice there im poor n now beingt acused of something i didnt do ...........
Posted May 29, 2009
Zoompad says:
The law must be changed, because the law as it stands is making a mockery of the very word justice.
People are being "diagnosed" with these wierd psuedoscientific disorders by Cafcass officers and family court solicitors - this cannot be right. Some people have complained that they have been "diagnosed" without actually meeting the person who diagnosed them!
All family court sessions should be recorded properly, there really is no excuse at all for not doing so, the added cost could be minimal - a pack of 10 DVD recordable disks costs about the same price as a pint of beer, and 10 disks could easily record the whole trial. It is nonsense that this has not been put into place already, when you consider the vast amounts of money squandered on "expert" witnesses to write up a few pages of A4.
Posted May 20, 2009
aj2008 says:
Any parent in this position should be given a proper hearing by someone or people who are "neutral".
Posted February 22, 2009
MindGuru says:
Of course, it's a matter of basic human rights. Habeas corpus for all! That said, I'm all for protecting the children from immediate danger.
Posted December 30, 2008
spirituality says:
It sounds unimaginable that parents should not at least get a chance to get their kids back. I don't know that court is the right place for such a fight - after all there are kids involved, but parents should indeed have rights.
Posted November 21, 2008
A Voice for Children Campaign
We help everybody we can who comes to us asking for help in THEIR battles with "Child Protective Services".
A Voice For Children Helps Parents FALSELY ACCUSED Of Child Abuse & The ELIMINATION Of Corrupt Officials, Judges & Bureaucrats.
Read more about the campaign on Love for Life or the A Voice for Children Website.
A child's hand is for holding not for leading away from
Understanding child abuse
Background reading
Find out more about False Parental Child Abuse
Find help and support
- Falsely Accused of Physical Abuse or Molestation?
- Falsely Accused of Physical Abuse or Molestation? Nationally Recognized Legal Authority on False Accusations of Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Junk Science, and Parental Alienation Syndrome. 734-327-5030
- False Allegations of Domestic Violence, Child Abuse and, Parental Alienation Syndrome
- This paper describes false allegations of family abuse, child abuse, and Parental Alienation Syndrome.
- False Accusations Of Child Abuse, False Child Abuse Allegations, Fighting False Allegations Against Men, False Accusations Of Child Sexual Abuse, Media
- abuse-excuse.com. Dean Tong, Forensic Consultant/PsychoLegal Strategist. Helping parents/attorneys win their false abuse allegations/child custody/parental alienation syndrome cases. Divorce litigation consultant, child abuse consultant, false abuse accusations consultant, trial consultant
- False Allegations of Sexual Abuse
- Providers of strategic case management for cases involving false allegations of sexual abuse.
- Smoke without fire
- Smoke without fire
Every year some 120,000 parents are wrongly accused of child abuse. The cases are dropped, but no one ever says sorry. And now, reports Diane Taylor, their only support group has folded
WE think of you
Wait! I haven't given birth yet!
What are your thoughts?
Some local authorities are making a decision to take a child away before the mother has even given birth. If the mother has a background of mental instability, the decision is made that she is already unfit to raise her child even though she may have sought treatment and be on the road to recovery.
These decisions have been made by pediatricians with no knowledge of the case going over the own mother's GP and psychiatrist.
So, what do you think?
Should authorities be allowed to make a decision to remove a child from their mother as soon as she's given birth?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byNo way! All mothers have rights especially if she's been deemed fit to raise her child by her own doctor.
Of course! If there is potential for child abuse, we must take steps to stop it before it even starts.
aj2008 says:
Every case should be judged on its own merits, but as Spirituality says, there should be a thorough investigation.
Posted February 22, 2009
spirituality says:
I think with some people they should first prove they have taken control over their life before being allowed to raise kids. However, there should be a thorough investigation before this most drastic step is taken.
Posted November 21, 2008
On the flip side of false child abuse
Remembering those children who died or suffered abuse at the hands of their parents
Baby P - 17th months old, suffered more than 50 injuries which included 8 fractured ribs, a broken back and multiple bruises. His mother, her lover and her lodger are awaiting sentence.
Alisha Allen - 5 months old. Father shook her to death. Her mother was jailed for 12 months in September, 2008. Father got 5 years for manslaughter.
Tiffany Wright - Three years old. Starved to death above the pub run by her mother. Her mother was jailed for 12 years and her stepfather received 5 years.
Baby Jack - 6 months old. Died of pneumonia in November 2006. He'd suffered fractures to his arms, legs and ribs. His parents were jailed for three years for child cruelty.
Sean Denton - 18th months. Smothered by his mother after which she committed suicide.
Shannon Matthews - 9 years old. Mother and Uncle conspired to drug and keep imprisoned. Her mother was found guilty in December 2008 of kidnapping.
The case of Victoria Climbié
On the other side of the coin, there is a risk that if Social Workers don't do their jobs properly, a child's life is at risk. The problem is that Social Workers are at the front line of welfare of children and often have to make fast decisions in order to protect those children under review.
However, this also means that innocent parents are being caught in the legal net with no chance of escaping until a judge makes the life-changing decision to take the child away from them. It is then, of course, way too late.
One example of Social Workers not acting fast enough was in the case of Victoria Climbié. She was 8 years old when she died from abuse and neglect at the hands of her aunt, Marie Therese Kouao and her boyfriend, Carl Manning, despite numerous visits from Social Workers, nurses, Doctors and police officers. They were both been charged with murder and jailed in 2001.
So, it poses a problem.
Social workers often to have to make snap judgments about whether a child is at risk from child abuse with the added risk of getting things terribly wrong. If they don't, and the child dies from continuing abuse they themselves will face legal action.
So, it's important that these sometimes tough decisions are made but laws should be in place to give parents the chance to defend themselves.
There are many cases where children have been taken away from their families because they've suffered fractures etc. for it only to be found later, when the child is legally adopted by another family, that they suffer from a medical condition which can causes these major injuries.
Victoria Climbie - Where are the Others that Failed Her?
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aj2008 wrote...
As Mortira says, there does not ever seem to be a happy medium. I know of someone who was falsely accused and then seen the other side of it when the school refused to listen when it was obvious that the child who was bullying my daughter was very disturbed for some reason. We all knew it was because she was being bullyed at home.
Posted February 22, 2009
Mortira wrote...
It's seems like there's never a happy medium when it comes to child welfare. It's either kids being removed for false reasons - often ending up in foster homes that are worse - or kids aren't removed when they are clearly in danger.
It makes me wonder how these women ended up being investigated in the first place.
Posted January 26, 2009
by inkserotica
