Freedom & Rights

I read an article in the paper this last Sunday and then watched the follow up on BBC last night. It wrenched my heart and sickened me as well as opened my eyes to an attitude that seems to exist here.

The story is about a young married couple here in England. They had 3 young children under the age of 5. Their middle child got sick and was taking a long time to recover and seemed to not want to walk. The parents took him to their local GP and were told he was fine just let it run its course. Then his leg became swollen and hot to the touch-so they took him to a bigger hospital.

This hospital took x-rays and said he most likely had a bone infection. After a night in the hospital staff started asking more questions and found that he had some metaphyseal (SP?) fractures to his leg. Basically they accused the parents of abuse. Upon hearing that the boy was also lactose intolerant and wouldn't eat solids, they accused them of neglect as well. Police investigated and social services was called.

Social Services told the parents they had to sign their kids over to them. The police found no cause for charging the parents and dropped their investigation. The parents told doctors that the mother's family had a history of brittle bone disease and could this cause the break? The doctors asked her if she had it which she replied-'I've never been diagnosed.' The Dr.'s wrote in their report that since the mother did not have brittle bone disease then categorically the son could not have it. This conclusion without a single DNA test on either the mother or child.

Social Services told the parents they had no rights in light of the abuse of their son and took all 3 children away. Family Court ruled that the children would be better off adopted. So all 3 children are now gone to separate families and adoption is not reversible in this country.

Can you believe it??!! The grandmother and 3 of the mother's siblings have brittle bone disease. The child was never tested! NEVER. The mother is now awaiting results of her DNA test and is pregnant with her fourth child. Social Services can take her baby away from her based on the ruling by Family Court.

I could not see this happening in the US. The people here seem to not really care about rights and freedoms or value families as a whole. The first thing a US Dr. Would have done is a DNA test. Can you imagine having your children taken away under these circumstances and know you can never have them back? It is almost barbaric. I don't hear much outrage about it all either.