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Four-year-old removed from mother’s care, after family court hears catalogue of physical and sexual abuse (14 July 2014)

Date: 14/07/2014
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Four-year-old removed from mother’s care, after family court hears catalogue of physical and sexual abuse

A hearing of the Family Division in Milton Keynes has ruled that a four-year-old girl must be removed from the care of her mother, after the judge heard evidence that the child had suffered repeated physical and sexual abuse at home.

Judge Rebecca Brown heard how the little girl referred to herself as a “devil child” – and at home had both her mouth taped to keep her quiet and her ankles taped together to prevent her from getting out of bed.

The details of the case have been released in the judge’s written ruling. Judge Brown took the step of naming the Local Authority involved in the case, Buckinghamshire County Council.

Judge Brown said the little girl had been living in "a harsh, critical and abusive environment"

The family court heard that the child often said, “I'm bad, aren't I?”

She had also developed a compulsive habit of washing her hands frequently and also appeared to have a compulsive eating disorder.

The court heard that there was evidence that the child had had suffered sexual abuse and encountered “inappropriate sexual experiences”. Judge Brown concluded that she had been sexually abused by her mother’s partner, whom she called “Daddy”.

Judge Brown also found that the girl’s mother had exhibited “inappropriate sexual behaviour” in front of her and had failed to protect her. The mother, the court found, had had psychological and personality difficulties.

The court recommended that the child be taken away from her mother’s care and placed with the local council for adoption.

Social workers at Buckinghamshire County Council had first raised concerns about the girl’s care at home and had started court proceedings for her to be taken into local authority care.

She has now been placed with a foster family and is undergoing psychotherapy. However, her foster family has kept a log of the child’s comments and the court heard that the girl regularly says that she is a “devil child” – and has described disturbing incidents which had taken place at home with her mother and mother’s partner, including allegations that her mother “headbutted” her and also bit her.

On one occasion, the child washed her hand more than 50 times during the course of one day and said, “Please tell Daddy I’ve been good.”

The child had also showed her foster carer how her mother placed sticky tape over her mouth.

The foster carer said that the child had told her the punishment frightened her.

“I cry, I'm scared,” the child told her foster parent, adding that her mother also bound her ankles together to make her stay in bed.

On another occasion, the girl became hysterical after a bedroom window at her foster home rattled in the wind.

The court was told that she had screamed, “It's daddy! It's daddy! He's come to get me.”

However, the court was told that the child’s mother and her partner had claimed that their daughter had “told proven untruths” and therefore could not be believed.

Duncan Lewis Childcare Solicitors
Duncan Lewis childcare solicitors offer specialist legal advice on cases involving child abuse, as well as children taken into Local Authority care and care proceedings, Court of Protection – and child contact and residence following divorce or judicial separation.
Duncan Lewis is also leading firm of Legal Aid solicitors and can advise on children law under UK law or Islamic law.
For expert legal advice on children law – including child abuse cases – contact Duncan Lewis childcare solicitors on 020 7923 4020.

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