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Five month old baby with no name put up for adoption

The High Court has ruled that a five month old baby who is yet to be given a name should be put up for adoption.

The ruling came amid concerns over the father’s aggressive and potentially dangerous behaviour.

The father was accused of threatening to kill one social worker and assaulting another, apparently frustrated with what he saw was an “invasive” approach by Hertfordshire County Council.

On top of the physical aggression, Mrs Justice Parker said she was “troubled” by the fact that the child did not yet have a name, calling it “emotionally harmful” to the child.

She added:

“His father has refused to give him a name … I think ideally the mother independently would not have taken that view. Every child needs a name.”

The judge said the case was “terribly sad”, and expressed concern for the child’s mother, who has a learning disability.

She added that the learning disability was not a factor in the child being taken away.

“Learning disability is not in itself a reason for a parent not looking after a child. Many clever people make absolutely rotten parents and many people who are intellectually impaired are warm and caring and provide children with a wonderful upbringing. No one is a perfect parent.”

The father said he and his partner would appeal the ruling.

The blog team at Stowe is a group of writers based across our family law offices who share their advice on the wellbeing and emotional aspects of divorce or separation from personal experience. As well as pieces from our family law solicitors, guest contributors also regularly contribute to share their knowledge.

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Comment(1)

  1. CB says:

    Having been through these family law cases as a grandmother of a child whose birth certified name, the name he was registered at the hospital in which all the medical evidence still exists, was changed to the name of a child that has never existed and stands to this day on a Full Care Order
    the name was then changed illegally on the Full Care Order and adoption followed.
    If this can happen to my family, and the name meant no difference, I cannot understand why the child being nameless, makes any difference, if the parents name the child a name the LA are not happy with, they can go on to change it, so rather the child be nameless

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