Couple identified by judge get to keep fourth child

November 6, 2006 in Child safeguarding, Children, Fostering and adoption, Looked after children

A couple who won a landmark ruling to speak out about their fight against care orders on their four children were told on Friday they could take one of them home.

High Court judge Mr Justice Munby told Nicola and Mark Webster that they could take their five-month son, Brandon, home “within the next few days”.

The family have been supervised in a residential care home since Brandon was born. He was placed under an interim care order by Norfolk Council after it had taken their other three children into care, after the courts found two had been physically abused. All three have been adopted.

The children suffered fractures but the Websters have never accepted that they were to blame and have already spoken out using the pseudonym Mr and Mrs Hardingham, arguing that their children suffered from “brittle bone disease”.

On Thursday, Mr Justice Munby made a landmark that allowed the Websters and Brandon to be named, so they could speak out.

His ruling is believed to be the first time a family court judge has lifted the ban on identifying parties during a family proceedings case.