Grandfather of Aboriginal child removed speaks out against FACS NSW DoCS

In June this year, a baby was taken from its grandfather’s arms by the NSW government Child Protection department in distressing circumstances.

“I had two DOCS NSW workers knock on my door at three o’clock looking for my daughter. They said they could contact her. I didn’t think there was any problems. I was thinking why are DOCS workers at my door,” said the grandfather.

“All of sudden, six o’clock that night, DOCS workers arrived back here with seven police officers. I felt at the time that my privacy was invaded and I felt like I was raped.”

He says that Family and Community Services (FACs) – formally known as DOCs – acted inappropriately.

“The way DOCS operated, I felt there was a better way to go about it. Why drag a baby out of my care on false pretences and accuse my daughter of drugs and alcohol when she provided urine showing nothing? Why should my granddaughter be going to full-time foster care when my daughter is not on drugs and alcohol like they stated? That is totally wrong,” he said.

The grandfather says the department wrongly accused the baby’s mother of using drugs and claimed that he, the grandfather, was a violent parent.

“Stating the grandfather is violent is not right; they’ve never got to know they just prejudged me.”

This is confirmed by his solicitor Cheryl Orr, from Gonzalez & Co.

Lies and lives ruined!

“Family and community services at first instance has put information into the court to say that grandad won’t be assessed, granddads not a suitable carer and that grandpa in fact is a risk to that child, that just again doesn’t make sense,” says Ms Orr.

“Why drag a baby out of my care on false pretences and accuse my daughter of drugs and alcohol when she provided urine showing nothing?”

Ms Orr says children are being removed from their families on assumptions made, not the evidence.

“So if Family and Community Services are gathering evidence and that evidence doesn’t necessarily accord with the actual facts, the information that the court is getting and the information that the court is making decisions on is purely based on the misinformation that’s being fed to them by community and family services,” she said.

A spokesperson from NSW Family and Community Services told NITV News that “a range of factors are taken into consideration to determine whether the child is at risk of harm. FACs only applies to the Children’s Court to place a child in care when they are considered to be at serious risk of harm if they stay with their birth family.”

My life of hell with DoCS NSW (FACS – Family and Community Services New South Wales)

The grandfather claims that FACs tampered with the original Order of Removal Papers to protect itself and he says he has referred this matter to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption for further investigation.

NITV News put that allegation to FACs which did not address the specific claim in its emailed response.

The grandfather says he is trying to remain focused on raising his other grandchild who is excelling at school and in sport.

The grandfather claims that FACs tampered with the original Order of Removal Papers to protect itself and he says he has referred this matter to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption for further investigation.

The young primary school student has also been adversely affected by his cousin’s removal four months ago.

“It made me feel sad because she was almost like my sister and it was just really tragic it was just devastating because I’ve never seen pop so sad. I really miss her,” said the grandchild.

sbs.com.au

Source Article from http://www.lukesarmy.com/content/grandfather-aboriginal-child-removed-speaks-out-against-facs-nsw-docs

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