MR, now 18 months, had sustained life threatening injuries when only a month old. The court was now asked to complete the care proceedings. The mother asked the court to consider rehabilitation of contact. It was the father who was found guilty of assault.
Held: The application was rejected. The mother showed no sign of acknowledging any responsibility for the events through her inaction. The child had also reacted very negatively to attempts to restore contact, and ‘I see no basis for concluding that any further assessment of the mother is necessary and even although the effect of so deciding will be to extinguish the only remaining chance for KH of being rehabilitated with MR. His overwhelming and pressing need now is to be placed within an adoptive home where he is able to feel secure, settled and protected from harm. He is fortunate indeed to have had an excellent experience of being looked after by loving and nurturing foster parents who have been attuned to his every need. As the result, the chances of him making a good attachment to adoptive parents are seen as high.’
Pauffley J
[2013] EWHC 1156 (Fam)
Bailii
England and Wales
Children
Updated: 31 October 2021; Ref: scu.510087