Policewoman blames social worker for destroying evidence in ‘troubling’ adoption case

A policewoman who says her two-year-old son was wrongly taken from her care following an investigation by council social workers has lost the latest round of a court battle.

The officer says the little boy accidentally fell over a stair gate and bruised his groin.

But she says a social worker rubbed the top of the gate and destroyed the possibility of specialists finding forensic evidence to support her claim.

A family court judge has ruled the youngster suffered a non-accidental injury and should be placed for adoption following a private hearing in London.

The officer on Thursday failed to persuade a Court of Appeal judge to order a review of those decisions.

She said photographs showed marks matching the pattern of the stair gate.

But Lord Justice McFarlane, who analysed the case at a Court of Appeal hearing in London, said the officer had produced no evidence to suggest the family court judge had made a mistake.

He said there had been a thorough evaluation of evidence presented by medical experts at a family court trial.

Lord Justice McFarlane said nothing could be reported which might identify the child – including the name of the local authority involved.

The judge said the case was “troubling”.

He said the child was “much-loved” and the woman, a single mother, was not the sort of person who normally featured in such a case.

Lord Justice McFarlane said social workers had raised concern after nursery staff spotted bruising.

The policewoman was not represented by lawyers at the appeal court hearing.

She addressed Lord Justice McFarlane personally and at one point walked forward to point out detail of a photograph to him.

After the hearing she said she would consider her next move.

“My child did this to himself,” she said outside court. “I have done nothing wrong.”

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