Thursday 24 April 2008

Strange Decisions by Courts and Social Workers

Full Story: http://www.stopinjusticenow.com/News_0756.htm

John Hemming MP told the House of Commons of a number of strange decisions by family courts in an adjournment debate yesterday. He explained the details behind the case of Fran Lyon and that Doctors in Sweden believe she should sue doctors in the North East for Medical Malpractise.From Hansard:Fran Lyon’s case never encountered the courts. She was a pregnant mother who became one of my constituents for a while before she emigrated. She was told that she was such a great risk to her baby that the child had to be removed within 15 minutes of birth and she could never breast-feed. However, her case was reviewed in Sweden. All the information cooked up by children’s services and doctors in Northumberland was examined and it was decided to discharge her from hospital. Fran suffers from angiodaema so she has a tracheotomy. The doctors in the north-east said she had Munchhausen syndrome by proxy and caused her angiodaema herself. The doctors in Sweden said that she should sue the doctors in the north-east for malpractice because her angiodaema was not self-induced—it even occurred when she was unconscious. Yesterday, I received the official English translation of the Swedish social work report, which concluded:“Our assessment is that there is no need for support or any other programme with regard to Fran’s capacity as a parent.” In England, the plan was to take the baby 15 minutes after birth, which would have also involved the usual twin-tracking adoption plan. In Northumberland, there was systematic and corrupt abuse of process. Sadly, that is all too common in the system. Another story was about teenagers forced to remain in care and keep away from their father because they wouldn't speak to their estranged mother. From Hansard:A good current example is a case covered in the following verse in the song I referred to earlier:“The boys they say that they won’t talk to their momThe judge says foster care is what must be doneDad says its wrong by writing a bookHe’s put in jail ‘cos somebody looked.”It is absolutely absurd to place two children aged 13 and 15 in foster care because they will not talk to their mother, who is estranged from their father. The father would like to appeal, but the lawyers, including his own solicitor, are working against him. To appeal, he needs a judgment, but he still has not been given it. On Monday, I spoke to the 15-year-old, who is in fact 16 today, and he said, “I think children’s social services are a complete disaster. My brother is mortified because he wants to go back to his dad. I think the way things are happening is pathetic. My father has never hurt either of us.” Let us understand the reality of this. Tens of thousands of pounds are being spent to keep in care two children who have never been hurt by their father. In effect, they are being imprisoned in care for no good reason. However, outside Parliament, we are not allowed to scrutinise the reasoning. The problem is that the rule of law is systematically undermined in the family division. He also told of children being lost by the system and women suffering Domestic Violence in silence because they are frightened of having their children taken away if they as for help. The Minister criticised his speech as being "ranting".
Best to read the whole debate here: Debate in Hansard


Full Story: http://www.stopinjusticenow.com/News_0756.htm

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