The Family Court has approved a plan to have two siblings with troubled parents put up for adoption.
In A (Final Hearing-Care and Placement Order), Judge Gareth Jones said the parents had each been “victims of abusive, unhappy and damaging childhoods”. The mother had suffered from depression many years, while the father had experienced similar mental health issues and attempted suicide a few times. All of this left them “ill-equipped to deal with the demands of parenting”, the judge said.
The local authority had been aware of the family for some time, and took action following a number of incidents in which the children, aged one and two, suffered bruising.
Medical experts who examined the children said that the latest injuries, “particularly severe bruising to the right earlobe” of the youngest child, were inflicted, but could not say with certainty who the perpetrator was.
The local authority applied for care and placement orders for the two children. These would give the council permission to find a permanent home for the children and sever the legal relationship between them and their parents.
Judge Gareth Jones noted that the local authority’s primary plan was to keep the siblings together. However, if this was not possible, the authority said they would “notify the parents of any decision to separate the children” before any further action was taken.
As no members of the children’s extended family were able to care for them, the judge approved the local authority’s plan and made care and placement orders for the siblings.
To read the full judgment, click here.
