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Kitiara is not a happy bunny today! 
We went to court for the residency hearing for my partners son yesterday ... and lost!
It was a complete farce and we feel so let down by the (in)justice system. We had a female Judge who before the hearing even started asked to see the legal teams from both sides, she told them that she had already decided what the outcome would be based soley on the new CAFCASS report which was full of holes and inacuracies, which we had tried to ring him about when we received it last week, and he wouldn't return any of our calls - or our solicitors emails / calls either, and that she did not want any witnesses to be spoken to. She wouldn't even ask the CAFCASS officer to explain how he had come to the decision he had or let him be cross examined by either side. To me this makes a mockery of the hearing 2 months ago when the Judge adjourned the hearing as the CAFCASS officer dealing with the case hadn't turned up through illness, the Judge at that hearing said that the case could not be heard as a CAFCASS report must be discussed and the officer cross examined.
If we had been given the opportunity to present our case, we still might have lost, BUT at least we would have felt like we had had our say. The CAFCASS officer had failed to inform us that a 2nd interview with *L* was to take place, despite several calls with his Mum, and she admitted that she had also had a private meeting with him after he had spoken to *L*, it might not seem much - but it may have thrown some doubt on the decision and caused the Judge to have a re-think.
What was supposed to be a 2 day hearing was over in less than 2 hours from start to finish, and that included getting the new order drafted and sealed. We have been given joint residency which means *L* will continue to live with his Mum but will "live" with us 3 out of every 4 weekends rather than just "visit". The poor child will have to continue to live with a Mum who abducted him for 5 months to America and leaves him on his own in the house at 10:30 at night, and a Stepfather who has admitted to hitting him twice, the 2 things *L* told CAFCASS scared him the most to the extent he sometimes couldn't concentrate in school ... I really can't understand the logic behind this decision!
Oh well .... onwards and upwards as the saying goes, we'll just have to make the best of the time we do get with *L* now.
Thank you to everyone who have helped me through this, you have been great with your advice, and the words of encouragement & support, both on the open forum and in PM have been appreciated.
We went to court for the residency hearing for my partners son yesterday ... and lost!
It was a complete farce and we feel so let down by the (in)justice system. We had a female Judge who before the hearing even started asked to see the legal teams from both sides, she told them that she had already decided what the outcome would be based soley on the new CAFCASS report which was full of holes and inacuracies, which we had tried to ring him about when we received it last week, and he wouldn't return any of our calls - or our solicitors emails / calls either, and that she did not want any witnesses to be spoken to. She wouldn't even ask the CAFCASS officer to explain how he had come to the decision he had or let him be cross examined by either side. To me this makes a mockery of the hearing 2 months ago when the Judge adjourned the hearing as the CAFCASS officer dealing with the case hadn't turned up through illness, the Judge at that hearing said that the case could not be heard as a CAFCASS report must be discussed and the officer cross examined.
If we had been given the opportunity to present our case, we still might have lost, BUT at least we would have felt like we had had our say. The CAFCASS officer had failed to inform us that a 2nd interview with *L* was to take place, despite several calls with his Mum, and she admitted that she had also had a private meeting with him after he had spoken to *L*, it might not seem much - but it may have thrown some doubt on the decision and caused the Judge to have a re-think.
What was supposed to be a 2 day hearing was over in less than 2 hours from start to finish, and that included getting the new order drafted and sealed. We have been given joint residency which means *L* will continue to live with his Mum but will "live" with us 3 out of every 4 weekends rather than just "visit". The poor child will have to continue to live with a Mum who abducted him for 5 months to America and leaves him on his own in the house at 10:30 at night, and a Stepfather who has admitted to hitting him twice, the 2 things *L* told CAFCASS scared him the most to the extent he sometimes couldn't concentrate in school ... I really can't understand the logic behind this decision!
Oh well .... onwards and upwards as the saying goes, we'll just have to make the best of the time we do get with *L* now.
Thank you to everyone who have helped me through this, you have been great with your advice, and the words of encouragement & support, both on the open forum and in PM have been appreciated.
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