Father wins payout after being prevented from seeing children for two years

A man who was accused of sexual abuse and prevented from seeing his children for two years has been compensated by a council following family court litigation.

The man complained social services bosses at Luton Borough Council had breached his human rights.

Council bosses have apologised and agreed to pay £15,000 damages, a judge has been told.

Detail of the case has emerged in a ruling by Mr Justice Cobb following a private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London.

The judge said neither the children nor their father could be identified.

He said the man and the children’s mother had become embroiled in a legal dispute over the children after separating five years ago.

The woman had initially made “serious allegations” about the man’s conduct towards one child and then claimed that he had sexually abused both youngsters.

Investigations had started, the man had been arrested and had not been able to see his children for two years.

But a social worker had suspected the children had been coached to make false allegations and staff had concluded the children’s mother had caused the youngsters “significant harm”.

Mr Justice Cobb said the children had eventually moved to live with their father and were “thriving”.

_{Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2017, All Rights Reserved.}