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Loving parents, but their children were taken away
• ROY Everett has given a timely reminder of the problems that occur when foster carers are falsely accused of abuse and the unfair way local authorities deal with such false allegations (Deterred by abuse scare, January 4). The problems are further exacerbated where local authorities refuse to accept court judgments.
A few months ago I advised in the case of an Islington foster carer and her family who faced a false accusation of child abuse.
Although the case was thrown out by the court, Islington Council refused to accept the judgment, which meant a child was left in limbo for a number of months before common sense prevailed and he was finally returned to the foster family home.
Indeed, the council’s refusal to accept what actually happened in a case of alleged child abuse resulted in a High Court rebuke in another case last summer.
Family courts are notorious for their secrecy but the council’s overstepping of the mark in child care proceedings was considered to be sufficiently worrying to a senior judge that he decided to make his judgment public in the case where two young children were being removed by the council from loving and caring parents who were entirely innocent of abuse claims.
The concerns of the judge over the actions of Islington suggest a council eager to pursue cases where the evidence shows no abuse and begs the question just how much emotional damage does that inflict on a young child removed from the parental home for the best part of a year.
Our councillors have been elected as corporate parents to look after vulnerable children on our behalf and it is about time they took their responsibility seriously and began to ask questions of some of the actions of Islington children’s services.
TREVOR JONES
Hanley Road, N4
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