Social workers go the extra mile despite ‘abusive and cowardly’ campaign

By The Press Association21st October 2015News EnglandChildrens Services, Hampshire, News England, Social Work

A man whose two grandchildren were taken into care has been criticised by a family court judge for conducting an “abusive and cowardly” Facebook campaign against social services staff.

Judge Helen Black said the man – the children’s paternal grandfather – had named social workers and described them as paid liars, “entrapment scumbag” and child “traffickers”.

The judge said social workers had “remained professional throughout” and had “gone the extra mile” to support the children’s mother.

Detail has emerged following a family court hearing relating to the man’s younger grandchild – a boy aged around six months.

Judge Black has not identified the family, nor the local authority involved, in a ruling on the baby’s case.

But she said she had heard evidence at a family court in Portsmouth, Hampshire, and indicated that the family had lived in nearby Southampton.

“The assessments were being undertaken by the local authority against the backdrop of an abusive and cowardly campaign by the paternal grandfather on Facebook which has persisted throughout the course of these proceedings,” said Judge Black.

“He has made wild unproven claims against the particular social workers and the local authority generally and against this court.”

She said it was “clear” that the man’s son shared his father’s views.

“The campaign has included continued allegations of perjury and that the perjury in the secret family court is to traffic children for money,” the judge added.

“All of the social workers who have been involved in either child’s case have been named in Facebook pages and described as: ‘pathological paid liar’, ‘lying entrapment scumbag’, ‘paid liar assessor’, ‘paid liar’.

“All are described in this list as ‘baby/child traffickers who are operating in Southampton’.

“Facebook entries state they were trying to steal his granddaughter and worked ‘for a child trafficking organisation called the Local Authority’.

“The grandfather has also recommended that Facebook users check out the social workers’ ‘friends list and you will see the child trafficking social workers on there, talk about conspiracies, the evil baby stealing bastards’.”

Judge Black indicated that she wanted to record her backing for social workers involved.

“Social workers in this case have gone the extra mile to support this mother,” she said.

“They have done that against the backdrop of persistent allegations and abuse from the paternal family.

“They have however remained professional throughout and have remained focused on trying to support this mother.”

She added: “It is important that is recorded.”

Judge Black said the parents’ older child had been removed from their care and placed for adoption two years ago.

She said concerns about “neglect, emotional and physical harm” had been raised and a judge had concluded that their care of the child “was not good enough”.

The baby boy had been taken into care shortly after birth – when social services staff applied for an emergency protection order.

Judge Black said both the mother and father had agreed that their son should be placed for adoption.

The judge said she had approved that placement.

She said social workers had not decided to “separate” the baby boy from his mother and added: “It was the mother’s choice – supported by the father.”

Judge Black said there had been concerns about the father’s “controlling behaviour”, about his “convictions for sexual assault” and about “allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour” – as well as concerns about “neglectful parenting”.

She said the mother had alleged that the father had a “fake Facebook account” which had “100 of young, like 13 or 14-year-old girls, dressed in skimpy outfits showing everything”.

The father said the account was “nothing to do with him” but had been “created by a neighbour”.

He had admitted that he had strangled and hit the mother – and had accepted that he had raped her.

Judge Black added: “It is unsurprising with that background that the local authority were particularly concerned about the father and about the ability of these parents to safely parent their new baby.”