Sex offender fails to prevent baby being taken into care

A convicted sex offender has failed in his eleventh-hour bid to
prevent Gloucestershire council taking his baby into care as soon
as it is born next week, writes Sally
Gillen.

The man, who was convicted in 1995 of having sex with an
under-age girl, said the council’s decision amounted to a
violation of his, his partner’s and the child’s human
rights.

But high court judge, Mr Justice Munby, dismissed the judicial
review saying it needed to be heard in the specialist family court,
but there is no time now for a second court hearing to be held.

The council plans to apply for an emergency protection order the
moment the baby is born, which would see it placed with a foster
family while psychological tests are carried out on the couple.

Next month, the council also plans to return the child to the
parents for a short period while the pair’s suitability as
parents will be assessed.

Justice Munby urged the couple to show they could “make a
go” of looking after the child, and “make the best you
can of the opportunities”.

But speaking outside the court, the father-to-be said he was
considering taking the case to the European court of human rights,
saying that although he accepted the local authority’s care
plan, the “issue of human rights has not been
addressed”.