Sir Bob Geldof on Courts bias against Fathers

Heads-up from Mike MURPHY, ParentalAlienationCanada blog.

Sir Bob presents a personal narrative to his and other men's shock at finding out they are not considered necessary parents to their kids. Archived at EvenToddlers, this dated (2004) video - sadly - doesn't sound very different from today in Canada (or the UK. Australia seems to have made huge leaps forwards since introducing "the presumption of shared parenting" in it's new Family Law Act in 2007) .

This is one of many YouTube video's compiled by UK Dad, Kingsley MILLER to support fathers arguments in achieving reasonable custody arrangements in the UK. He makes some excellent rejoinders to help combat regressive arguments by Judges and Feminist "Divorce Industry" proponents. He also has www.EvenToddlersNeedFathers.com.

I hope to create a summary of the main issues/points in the future. Until then, I suggest anyone who is in the midst of a custody hearing (I hesitate to say "battle" because once you understand it to be that way, you may already be lost) review some of MILLAR's video's online. (They are a bit ponderous, as they are mostly "highlight" graphics and read-overs, meant to be played to a court/judge.) Once you get over the delivery idea you can start picking out some relevant facts for arguments.

Also, some disturbing stats that reflect the negative impacts of removing fathers from the lives of their children (goto www.RealFathersForJustice.org)

• 100 british children a day lose contact or partial contact with one parent. (Based on DCA figures 2001)

• 40% of british children have no contact with their father after 2 years of separation (Although more robust surveys place between 15-28%. University of Oxford - Dept of Social Policy & Social Work, Family Policy Briefing - January 2004)

• 40% of british mothers admit to thwarting contact to punish a former partner. (Dept of Social Services Survey 1998)
  

• In 2002, 61,000 contact orders were made (UK Ministry of Justice/Dept of Constitutional Affairs, Judicial Statistics 2002 Table 5.3) and yet in 2003 the (London UK) Times newspaper estimated that 50% of such orders were flouted with impunity.
  

• 38% of grandparents has experienced family breakdown in at least one of their sets of grandchildren (UK Economic and Social Research Council, "L480254040 Grandparenthood: Its Meaning and its Contribution to Older People's Lives." 2001 survey of 2,110 grandparents)
  

• The UK placed last among 21 industrialised nations for the well being of its children. (Includes being last in Family & Peer Relationships; Behaviour & Risks and Subjective Well-being, 2007 Unicef report)
  

• "Lady Justice Arden, sitting with Lord Justice Thorpe and Lord Justice Lawrence Collins, said this was not a violation of the father's rights to family life under the Human Rights Act because he had no rights to be violated." (Daily Telegraph 2007NOV27 "Mother allowed to keep baby secret from father")

• Toddlers more badley behaved if looked after by grandparents as mother goes to work. (Daily Telegraph - 2009FEB10)