Pregnant woman with learning disabilities flees to keep baby
November 22nd, 2009![Kerry Robertson and Mark McDougall, photo from the [UK] Times](http://www.patriciaebauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/2009.11.22_kerry.jpg "Kerry Robertson and Mark McDougall, photo from the [UK] Times")
From the [UK] Daily Mail, [UK] Times:
A pregnant woman with learning disabilities and her fiance have reportedly fled Scotland after social workers threatened to take away their baby at birth, saying the woman was not capable of raising the child.
Two months ago, the couple’s wedding was halted 48 hours before the ceremony in a dispute over whether Kerry Robertson, 17, was capable of consenting to marry Mark McDougall, 25.
The high-profile case highlights the dilemma facing social workers who must both protect the welfare of babies and vulnerable adults with disability, but at the same time protect the rights of those adults to lead fulfilled lives.
Mr. McDougall told a newspaper that he and his fiancée decided to leave Scotland after they saw the minutes of a meeting in which social workers claimed their child could suffer emotional harm if left with Miss Robertson.
Our RSS Feed