Aneta and Bobbie's Story

Aneta and Bobbie, who both have mild learning difficulties, had a baby together. On the day they Aneta and the baby were due to be discharged from hospital following the birth, a social worker from the council visited Aneta while Bobbie wasn’t there. The social worker then applied to a Family Court for permission to remove the baby from their care and place them with Bobbie’s parents. The order was granted and the child was removed, before eventually being returned to Aneta and Bobbie’s care two months later. Aneta and Bobbie took a human rights case to court saying their right to a fair trial and right to family life had been breached because they were not present at the hearing and did not have any legal representation. The council had also told the Court that Aneta and Bobbie agreed with the plan to remove the baby from their care, but they said they were not told about the plan. The courts agreed with Aneta and Bobbie and ordered the council to pay them compensation.

(CZ & Kirklees Council, 2017)