Second case -part 1

Let's look at another case, somewhat different from the previous one.


A man attempting to acquire rights, for that is what it was and is, for and over his son. His ex-partner had gone back to her previous boyfriend and they intended to bring the boy up as their own. The mother accordingly made accusations as to the real father's stability, although both had been at one time addicted to tranquillisers.

First they saw a leading social worker-who made a judgement on the real father based on a few meetings and through a highly subjective prism. She would have had no genuine knowledge of human psychology but would have consulted notes. She did not allow the father to review, thereby correcting, her conclusions. As an 'expert' her view dominated.


The real father had to see his son at various supervised meeting places. He was seen as the problem even though he merely met his son and played with him-merely loved him. He avoided the mother, who correctly as it turned out, he regarded as controlling and manipulative. Given previous behaviour on her part, he believed the mother would misrepresent his actions if he attempted to discuss the child with her or approached her in any way.

The child, like the real father but unlike the mother and her boyfriend, showed early intelligence. Eventually they ended up in a highly regarded children's centre where officially the father was reviewed as 'having problems'. Most of the information on his 'problems' came from the mother although the social worker, without any formal training in human psychology and largely egged on by the mother, had also encouraged that view. The energy of the senior staff went towards helping him with his (completely imaginary) problems and were thereby purposely distracted from the mother's behaviour.

Although the father gave no reason for any of this, he developed a reputation for having problems for which he required treatment. one of the senior staff attempted un-asked for analysis on him, which he defended with sarcasm and ridicule.