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Mum commits suicide over threat of care proceedings

What is unusual about this story is that it has some publicity. There is anecdote, but not research about the number of suicides linked to care proceedings.
It later emerged Mrs Bell feared her younger children, aged from nine to 15, would be taken away after she was arrested for an alleged assault. In her note she said she loved them all and would never forget them.

Comments

moira said…
I would have committed suicide if Id lost my baby to forced adoption.The separation is final and there is no access to the child just 1 letter a year if you are lucky!!!

I think if more could be found out about the numbers of people who commit suicide after losing their children then it would shame the government into change if exposed in the media.

There is also the issue of social services forcing women to have adoptions with the threat of removal of their baby if they don't comply.

Also women who have social services intervention in their pregnancy tend not to fare well. They usually go into labour early and need an emergency assistance as baby gets into difficulites.
Also research says that stress in pregnancy is the primary cause of stillborn babies.
escape said…
This is so tragic for the family. I hope and pray they do not land up in the care system.
watchdog said…
This tragic story can only be made worse for the family by this kind of speculation in public. It is equally likely that she had been influenced by media rumours of children being removed without cause than an actual threat.

Maybe it is best to leave this to the inquest to determine and hope that the findings will influence the relevant people. Inquest results are public.
John Hemming said…
What evidence is there for this statement. People normally believe most those things that their friends and acquaintances tell them. Media stories come some way down the pile.

There is also not guaranteed to be an inquest.
moira said…
When there is any domestic violence and i should imagine violent assualt the police by law have to make a referral to children's services.

If you actually had been involved with social services you would realise how threats can easily turn into care proceedings. In my case it was said my case should never have gone to court.After a traumatic court ordeal The LA wrote to say my parenting was of a high standard!!

So dont just assume that this lady had nothing to fear.
Unknown said…
This tragic story can only be made worse for the family by this kind of speculation in public.

Speculation, it is obvious to any twit as to why she took her life & why the children have no mother.

It is equally likely that she had been influenced by media rumours of children being removed without cause than an actual threat.

It is equally likely many parents lose their children through propaganda churned out on social services via their leaflets, one liners by social services in those media stories & by sympathisers of social services who may or may not actually know what they are sympathising with, or in some circumstances by people defending social services blindly.

Maybe it is best to leave this to the inquest to determine and hope that the findings will influence the relevant people. Inquest results are public.

After the inquest, it would be a surprise to me if relevant people were influenced.
watchdog said…
The point is there is no evidence for any point of view unless you had personal contact which I belive you did not.
moira said…
As far as I am aware freedom of speech is still allowed in this country unless you have been involved in the family court system!
Everyone is entitled to their point of view without one person trying to stifle this.

Debate is good and healthy and the more stories like this are exposed,the more we can work to stop this kind of thing happening in the future.
Unknown said…
"The point is there is no evidence for any point of view unless you had personal contact which I belive you did not."

You do tend to contradict yourself;

You posted a “claim” then you were directly asked for evidence to back that claim up by John, you then failed to give any further explanation or evidence, only to go on to claim “one” should not speculate, do you not see the problem here? You were already speculating.

With regard to your above quote;

There are quotes directly from her son in the story & you claim there is no evidence, do you seriously expect people to believe that the story & the comments by the son are false & that the paper is totally falsifying the story to some how harm the reputation of the aptly named SS?
Anonymous said…
Actually if you read the article again it is the newspaper which speculates on the woman's reason for suicide, not the son. He simply says she was scared. I agree with Watchdog. This is a very sad story and we cannotknow yet why this lady was so distraught as to take her own life.
moira said…
It states clearly in the newspaper that she was frightened of her children being taken off her and that is why she took her own life. Obviously she confided this to her son otherwise it would not be in the story.

Dancing Queen I remember you as the social worker on fassit that defended SS to the hilt.

This is just the latest victim of a social services that induces fear and loathing in the public. There are very few people that view social services as a caring,helpful service to families and children now.
moira said…
It later emerged Mrs Bell feared her younger children, aged from nine to 15, would be taken away after she was arrested for an alleged assault. In her note she said she loved them all and would never forget them. Chris added: "The boy is traumatised. He is devastated."

I think it is clear that from her note why this lady was scared.Some social workers are very scary individuals with too much power.
Unknown said…
Actually if you read the article again it is the newspaper which speculates on the woman's reason for suicide, not the son.

Again you can’t claim the above with no proof, it is just your opinion. You have not seen the people the paper interviewed until you do, or until the story becomes bigger & more information is available then all you have is the story, a story that on the face of it paints a very bad picture for the SS system.

He simply says she was scared. .

Of course, he does, nobody claimed otherwise.

I agree with Watchdog. This is a very sad story and we cannotknow yet why this lady was so distraught as to take her own life. .

But I am sure you would agree we have a good indication.

At least if there is an inquest it will be in a court that is not private nor secret.
Anonymous said…
Moira I have never posted anything on Fassit, never even heard of it, and am not a social worker. (Could be there's another Abba/ Mamma Mia fan out there!)I just feel very sad for this family and hope the full story will come out at the inquest. I would not defend social Workers if they were at fault, I'm just saying that I agree that their portayal in the media may have frightened this woman, rather than any actual threat.
Unknown said…
"Actually if you read the article again it is the newspaper which speculates on the woman's reason for suicide."

"I'm just saying that I agree that their portayal in the media may have frightened this woman, rather than any actual threat."

Speculating? would you like a large squirt of cream with that?
moira said…
Why would their portrayal in the media frighten this woman? Is it because the public are finding out how punitive and harsh social services are with families.
The real truth of the unaacountable bullies who work for SS.
Ive already told you I went through care proceedings after 3 weeks of respite and was told afterwards it should never have gone to court.

The threat is very real. Do you really think after after an assault with a knife that social services would just leave this woman alone?

Perhaps its time you actually spoke to families that have been under social services instead of speculating that the public has nothing to fear from these little hitlers.

If you are not a social worker why are you on here defending SS when you obviously have never used the service.

I dont believe you or watchdog would keep coming back to this story if you werent connected to the child protection system in some way.

Its not speculation it is reporting what was in the poor womans note that she left. Obviously the paper is not going to make up something as tragic as that.
watchdog said…
my connection is as John Hemming's wife and we are extending a private converation into the public arena. Without some rationality and openess the valid points are lost.
John Hemming said…
In this case neither Christine (watchdog) nor I have any information that is not sourced from the media. She is my wife, but I do not provide her with information which is privileged.
Unknown said…
Hrm interesting....

I had no idea Watchdog was your wife John.

Nice to hear from you too Christine.
John Hemming said…
My wife has her own views. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we disagree.
Unknown said…
I'm sure it is the same for every couple, It's human nature, it's healthy:)
madhavi said…
We should be more concerned about how parents are portrayed in the media than social workers. Everyone starts with the premise(false) that if babies are taken something terrible must have been done to them. The media will never tell the truth about the social workers who routinely lie and steal babies! The media will never tell the truth about a system designed to support these lying baby stealers. And the media will never portray the abject tortured agony we families suffer from these heartless monsters.
ESCAPE said…
This is one of the reason's that parents/families are getting together in London next week to tell the truth about whats going on behind closed doors in the secret courts/contact centre's and care homes. For more info go to www.stopinjusticenow.com

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