Social services 'to take baby from teenager too stupid to marry'

[nick]

A mother-to-be, who was banned from marrying after social workers said she is not intelligent enough, is to have her baby taken away immediately after giving birth.

Kerry Robertson, 17, who has mild learning difficulties, has been told that she will not be allowed to bring up her own child, who she has already named Ben.

Last month Miss Robertson was prevented from marrying her fiancé Mark McDougall, 25, after council officials claimed that she “did not understand the implications of getting married”.

She has now been warned that she will only be allowed a few hours with her baby, which is due in January, before it is taken into foster care.

After hearing the news, Miss Robertson, of Dunfermline, Fife, who is 26 weeks pregnant, said: “I couldn't believe it. I am so upset – I can't stop crying.”

Mr McDougall, an artist, said he wants to take on full responsibility for his son but claims that he is powerless because he is not married to Miss Robertson.

He added: “Social Services are ruining our lives. As we are not married – because social workers would not let us marry – it seems I have no rights as a dad at all.

“Kerry's gran is trying to apply for custody of Ben but social services have already told us it is unlikely she will be successful. We feel helpless.”


There's more in the full story here (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/scotland/6365363/Social-services-to-take-baby-from-teenager-deemed-too-stupid-to-marry.html).

[drumir93]

How the flaming Hell can you be banned from marriage? What do Social workers have to do with it? If both parties approve I thought that was the end of it, as it should be.
If shes 17 doesn't that also mean she lives with parents that could help, and what does intelligence have to do with love and compassion for your own kid?

I'd take that case as far into court as I could get it if I where the dad.
I don't have anything useful to say, that just pissed me off.

[Sage]

Social services fail us again.

[Modus Operandi]

Social services fail us again.

QFT.

What the fuck. There are so many more pressing issues than a mom with a mild mental handicap marrying and raising a child. Argh...

[Becky]

WTF He has no rights to this child becuase he isn't married to this girl for fuck sake its his baby he should have a right to raise HIS BABY he should give them social workers his spunk and tell them to make another one of his children they can steal. And if shes 17 and has MILD learning difficulties she isn't that bad so therefore was was the girl who as 13 who had a baby taken of her? and why exactly can't they get married to be honest that is bull shit she has her own mind and she can make her own desicions stupid bastards ... wow I'm angry

[Rainstorm]

Just goes to show what kind of assholes work in Social Services

[ShatteredWings]

"mild learning disablity"
can range between severe dyslexia, to mild mental retardation (IQ around 80-90)......

Explain again why this is bounds for not being allowed to marry?

[Fiending_the_freedom]

this is outragous.
There are way worse parents out there that they should be focusing, they wont even let her prove that she can be a good mother? How is this helping her? This kind of a situation could lead the mother to have a mental breakdown knowing she is going to loose her baby as soon it is born, what if this results in her trying to harm herself and the baby? or running away?

[Becky]

this is outragous.
There are way worse parents out there that they should be focusing, they wont even let her prove that she can be a good mother? How is this helping her? This kind of a situation could lead the mother to have a mental breakdown knowing she is going to loose her baby as soon it is born, what if this results in her trying to harm herself and the baby? or running away?

I neve even tought about that she might try and harm the baby and herself this is just rediculous

[nick]

I can think of few things more cruel than taking a baby away from a mother so soon after birth, it seems harsh when the father seems to want to take responsibility. Glad other people think its outrageous too.

[Darkness]

She can't read, that's about it. Do we treat the blind like this? no! We do not! Pathetic!

[Whisper]

the father should have full rights to it
the child is 50% his
it bothers me that guys never have any rights to a child
like to the point that when i do have kids I'm going to be very very careful about it

and ya i think social services could be helping the tens of thousands of abuse cases, or the molestations, or the hardcore neglectful parents and leave this kid the fuck alone

[Zephyr]

Really.
Whow.
This whole thing is just sad.
During my time in highschool,
2 of the 'special needs' kids got pregnant,
And I'm talking full blown downs syndrome,
And nothing of this sort happened.

Taking a baby away because of learning difficulties?
That's low and pathetic.
Who are they to judge the quality of parenting that she could provide,
Before that baby is even out of the womb?
And even so,
I don't see why the father can't gain custody.
Social services should really focus on more serious cases...
This shouldn't even be a case.