Morecambe mum attacked by daughter
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- Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:41:59 -0400
Morecambe Today (UK)
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Morecambe mum attacked by daughter
VIOLENT children are "laughing at parents" due to changes in laws on smacking
and a lack of support from social services - says a partially sighted woman
from Morecambe who claims her 12-year-old daughter beats her up.
The desperate mum, who alleges her daughter threatened to kill her and battered
her so severely on one occasion that she had to go to hospital, believes the
Government has taken away the rights of parents to discipline their kids when
they misbehave.
She also claims to have pleaded with social services to take her daughter into
care "for my protection and for hers" - but they refused.
This is despite claims that the schoolgirl has:
n Threatened to kill her mum and also threatened to kill herself in a suicide
pact with her best friend.
n Put her in hospital after a violent assault - this when her daughter was only
seven.
n Attacked her on at least five other occasions - sometimes with kicks,
punches, bites, nips, scratches and by throwing objects.
n Stayed out after school until 10.30pm, got into trouble and had to be
escorted home by police.
"She will end up in front of a judge, or worse," said her mum.
"She's threatened to kill me and she's threatened to kill herself. Her and her
best mate have threatened to run away together. They have this pact where they
will take their own lives. I'm worried she will actually go through with it."
Stricter laws on child discipline - making some forms of smacking illegal -
came in two years ago and the woman believes this was a mistake.
"The Government is taking rights away from parents," she said.
"Kids get told at school to report any abuse - they say it's because it's
'against their human rights'.
"They say we can't ground them because it's stopping them getting fresh air. We
try to take away their TV, their videos, their computers - they say we can't do
that.
"They know they can step out of line and there's nothing parents can do about
it. Kids are laughing at parents. Nobody seems to be bothered."
The woman says that after "trying everything" to control her daughter's unruly
behaviour and help from various support groups failed to improve the situation,
she asked social services if they would take her daughter into care.
But she claims "they don't want to know".
"I am screaming out for help and I get none," she said.
"Social services say I'm the parent and it's my responsibility to know where
she is and to control her.
"But it's not that easy. I'm partially-sighted, but on a very bright day I
can't see anything.
"I've been on the phone to the police constantly. I pressed charges against her
once and she got a slap on the wrist. But it was horrible having to do that to
my own daughter.
"She's growing older, getting bigger and stronger and doing more damage.
"It doesn't matter what you threaten her with or what you do to her. Nothing
fazes her. She's not bothered.
"I've had marks and bruises on my leg from where she's kicked or thumped me.
"Five years ago I ended up in hospital after she had assaulted me. I thought
she had broken my elbow.
"No-one could believe it had been done by a seven-year-old. They said to me at
the hospital that the amount of parents who come in that have been assaulted by
their own children is unbelievable.
"But I felt ashamed having to admit that I can't control my own kid. It's like
us parents have to grin and bear the abuse because we can't get the help that's
needed."
A spokesperson for Lanca-shire County Council social services said: "We cannot
comment on individual cases but we do our utmost to work with families to
ensure that they have the support they need to lead normal, fulfilling lives.
"As a matter of policy, we would not take a child into care at a parent's
request but would carry out a formal assessment involving the child and its
parents.
"We would then look at what support they need, which could come from a social
worker, family support services or other agencies.
"All the evidence suggests that wherever possible and assuming they are not at
risk of harm, the best place for a child is with their family."
Last Updated: 16 October 2007 3:20 PM
http://www.thevisitor.co.uk/morecambe-news/Morecambe-mum-attacked-by-daughter.3382559.jp
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