Parents Against Injustice

SHOULD I BE TELLING MY CLIENTS TO SKIP THE COUNTRY NOW-THERE IS NO JUSTICE WITHIN THE UK FAMILY COURTS

A pregnant British woman has fled to Spain with her parents to prevent her unborn baby being taken into care by social services, despite an offer by the child’s grandparents to
foster her.

Megan Coote, 21, is one of two British women who have escaped to Spain after threats by Suffolk social services to remove their babies. The infants were born last week two days apart and are now neighbours.

Their cases reflect what John Hemming, a Lib Dem MP and chairman of Justice for Families, believes is a growing phenomenon. “It is clear that nothing is being done to sort the family courts out and so more
people are thinking of simply emigrating,” he said.

The second British woman, Carissa Smith, 32, arrived in Spain over Christmas with her husband, Jim, £300, three cats and their baby on the way. Mr Smith reckons he has spoken to dozens of couples who have made
a similar decision. “There’s so many people who want to go back but are
frightened,” he said. “It is a horrible way to live. Nobody wants to
leave their country, family and friends, but you have to.” Their name
has been changed for legal reasons.

The birth of the Smiths’ son brings back painful memories of the daughter they no longer see. Carissa had a psychologist’s diagnosis of factitious illness, which used to be known as Münchausen’s syndrome by
proxy, in 2008. The same psychologist later changed the diagnosis to
narcissistic personality disorder, but their daughter was already in
care. Although experts said there was no immediate risk to the child,
social services said she could face emotional abuse in future. When
Carissa became pregnant again, the Smiths decided to move abroad.

Tim Yeo, the couple’s MP, suggested in Parliament that Suffolk social workers acted in the Smith case in a manner “sometimes tantamount to child kidnapping”. That the Coote family fled the same
authority “rather bears out the theory I had that the department
intervenes not with the aim of helping couples become good parents but
of separating vulnerable couples from their baby”, Mr Yeo told The Times.

In the case of Ms Coote, who has mild learning difficulties, her parents offered to foster their grandchild. When she became pregnant, her midwife went to social services with concerns about her emotional
maturity. A psychological assessment suggested that she would not be
capable of looking after the baby. Her parents disagreed, but
volunteered as guardians. The baby was due but social services told
them that the process would take 12 weeks and could not promise that
the baby would not be put forward for adoption beforehand.

When Jim Smith learnt that the Cootes were moving away, he rang to offer them space in his new house.

Suffolk social services would not comment on individual cases. However, Simon White, director of Children and Young People’s Services, said: “Children’s services work hard to support parents and families so
that children can remain in their own families. No decisions can be
made before assessments which determine whether the child in question
can be adequately cared for by the natural parents or within the
extended family.”

Some warn that children who have been noted by social services as at risk may face further dangers abroad. Barbara Hopkin, of the Association of Lawyers for Children, was involved in a case in which a
mother fled to Spain, fearing that her unborn child would be removed.
The baby died, smothered when her drunken boyfriend rolled on it.
“Other countries are much less interventionist and our system is
generally much better,” Ms Hopkin said.

But Mr Yeo believed that more support for families at home was necessary. “It’s a tragedy that loving couples should have to flee Britain to feel safe to bring up their own baby. It’s a terrible
situation for any family and rather a serious indictment of the way the
system of support is operating.”

The Cootes feel that they have been let down by social services. “I employ people. I pay my taxes. I abide by the law,” Mr Coote said. “I didn’t think that my country was going to kick me in the teeth.” He is
now battling to find a way to reunite his family in the United Kingdom
where he still runs a business and his son is in school.

For the Smiths, Spain is home. But their plan to celebrate their baby’s return from hospital yesterday was marred by a visit from Spanish authorities. They had been alerted by Suffolk social services.
“They are being really nice but we’ve got a weekend of worry ahead,”
said Mr Smith.

family courts.

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