Shhh... Scottish Children Abducted

June 30, 2014 permalink

Christopher Booker reports on a child abduction in Scotland. At least, he does as far as legally permitted, which is not much. The case has come to court, meaning a full report may be possible soon.

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A disturbing case of child removal that you can’t read about

One of the most bizarre examples of over-reacting social workers imaginable in Scotland has finally come to court - but now I can't report any further details

Social workers used an 'emergency protection order' to remove the children from their family

Photo: Geoff Pugh

By Christopher Booker, 7:57PM BST 28 Jun 2014

Circulating the internet has been a harrowing, two-hour recording of a Scottish family waiting for social workers and police to arrive to take two small children into care. Mostly we hear the father trying to talk calmly and reassuringly to his sons, who are chatting cheerily about how they want “to go to the beach”, although they all know what is going to happen. Finally, the social workers enter, saying they have an “emergency protection order” to remove the children, because of their “concern” that the family might leave the country. The children are heard crying as they are carried away. The father breaks down, sobbing and angry, although he manages to tell the police, still there, sounding sheepish, that he “appreciates” them for being “nice”.

The odd thing about this story is that, until last week, it had for years been widely reported in Scotland as one of the most bizarre examples of over-reacting social workers imaginable. Even now there is no allegation that the parents had harmed their children in any way. The local community is said to be outraged at what has happened. Yet now the case has finally come to court, neither I nor anyone else can report any further details of the story, for fear that the children might be identified.

Experienced observers who have been following this, including John Hemming MP, are confident that, if the proceedings turn out as they hope and suspect, this will indeed be a story worth reporting in full. But the time is not yet.

Source: Telegraph (UK)