GP who had two children taken from her care fails in appeal bid

A GP who had two children taken from her care has lost the latest round of a family court fight with her estranged husband.

She mounted an appeal after a family court judge ruled the children, aged 12 and 10, should leave her home and move to live with their father.

A more senior judge, based at the High Court in London, has dismissed her challenge.

Judge Robin Tolson had initially considered the dispute at a private family court hearing in Reading, Berkshire.

The judge heard how the GP and her estranged husband became embroiled in a court fight over the children after making allegations about each other’s behaviour.

She said he had physically abused her while he said she had “alienated” the children against him.

Judge Tolson had concluded it was in the children’s best interests for them to live with their father and have supervised contact with their mother.

Sir Jonathan Cohen, who on Friday considered the GP’s appeal bid at a public hearing in the Family Division of the High Court, concluded the challenge had no “real prospect” of success.

He concluded there could be “no valid criticism” of the “approach” taken by Judge Tolson.

The GP told Sir Jonathan she was “aghast” at some of the conclusions he had reached.

Sir Jonathan, who heard that the GP’s estranged husband had a “high-ranking job”, said the case was “intensely sad”.

He said following “various incidents” social workers and police had become involved – although neither the GP nor her estranged husband had been charged with any offence.

“I don’t think there is a valid criticism to be made in respect of (Judge Tolson’s) approach,” said Sir Jonathan in a ruling.

“The problem that the mother faces is that he didn’t accept her account.”

Sir Jonathan heard the children wanted to live with their mother.

But he said Judge Tolson had concluded that other factors had to be considered.

He ruled that the children could not be identified in media reports of the case.

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