Should the government be able to seize the child of someone who commited rape 20 year

[DareDevil]

POTTSVILLE, Pennsylvania (AP) -- Child welfare authorities seized a newborn from a hospital Friday and placed the baby in a foster home because his father is a convicted sex offender.

A judge granted the mother supervised visitation rights but prohibited visits from the father.

"There's no happy ending in these things. It's what we think is the best interest of the children," said Gerard Campbell, executive director of Schuylkill County Children and Youth Services. The agency took custody of the baby over the mother's objections.

The baby was born Tuesday and the agency obtained an emergency court order Wednesday authorizing it to take the infant. Child welfare workers argued the infant boy's safety is in jeopardy because the father pleaded guilty to rape and sodomy two decades ago in New York. The agency also cited the mother's alleged history of drug abuse.

Another hearing is set for October 31.

"I think they're sending the message that if you or any member of your family screws up, you can kiss your parental rights goodbye," said American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Mary Catherine Roper, who represents the mother, Melissa WolfHawk.

WolfHawk, 31, declined to talk with reporters after a hearing before Common Pleas Judge Charles Miller.

The 53-year-old father, DaiShin WolfHawk, did not attend the hearing but said he was "just shocked" by the judge's decision.

"I thought I was living in America," he said.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/10/22/sexoffender.custody.ap/index.html


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So, 20 years ago that man committed a sex crime for which he paid but he never made the same mistake again. While I find sex crimes paticularly despicable I wonder whether the fact that he never committed that crime again -and we are still talking about 20 years here- shouldn't count for something or not. :confused:

[wbthornton]

Considering the ruling that came down from the 9th Circus Court of Appeals recently......parents have no rights. It's just sick. :mad:

[oohmercyme]

I have been a (much hated) social worker for nearly 12 years and a child protection social worker (also known as the antichrist) for a year now.

The story doesn't give all the information that would go into investigating a case like this. Social Services don't just go in and snatch babies willynilly just for fun. The predominate theme in social services these days is to keep families together, sometimes no matter the cost (and I don't mean financial).

How long has the father been out of prison (obviously at least 9 months!) and has he had opportunity to reoffend? If Mom is a drug user, is it to the point that it would affect her ability to parent? What kind of supports do they have in place? Did the father "reform" or did he just do his time? (20 years in prison without changing your ways to me just says "doing time" not paying for his wrong. Plus, his victims have a life sentence for his crimes against them).

Social workers are "damned if the do and damned if they don't". How many times do you hear "and Social Services never did a thing and the kid died, or the offender kept offending" or whatever the case maybe. If something happened to this child, the media would be all over Social Services- "how could you let this kid go home to a sex offender and drug user?".

The majority of social workers do the best job they can do, even though everyone hates the sight of them. The pay sucks, so they do it for the love of it, not the money. (Says she who finally left work at 7pm for the 2nd night in a row and who hasn't taken a lunch break in the entire year she has worked here)

Three weeks ago I removed a newborn baby from his parents. They already had three children that they were not able to care for and were not able to care for this child. Even though it was the right thing to do for the longterm wellbeing of the child, it was one of the most heartbreaking things I have every done in my 12 years in the field. I went home and bawled my eyes out. (funny- social workers are either bleeding heart liberals or cold hearted well, you know).

Agreed, the government is stripping more and more of parent's rights away. Then again, it used to be a parent's right to beat their children within an inch of their lives as a form of "discpline".

[oohmercyme]

Also to add:

I worked with (teenage) sex offenders for 5 years. In EVERY instance, these boys had commited sexual offenses at least a dozen times before they were ever caught. Commiting a sexual offense is rarely a one time incident.

Even with intensive therapy, studies and experts, generally do not feel that sexual offenders can be "reformed". It becomes a matter, if they chose, to control their urges to offend.

Given that with intensive work the prognosis for an offender to stop offending is small, it is highly unlikely that a sexual predator would "see the error of his ways" after a time of incarceration in a predominately violent and sexually charged environment surrounded by other felons.

Not saying people can't change (what kind of social worker would I be if I did!), but sexual offenders rarely do.

[Pouye]

Also to add:

I worked with (teenage) sex offenders for 5 years. In EVERY instance, these boys had commited sexual offenses at least a dozen times before they were ever caught. Commiting a sexual offense is rarely a one time incident.

Even with intensive therapy, studies and experts, generally do not feel that sexual offenders can be "reformed". It becomes a matter, if they chose, to control their urges to offend.

Given that with intensive work the prognosis for an offender to stop offending is small, it is highly unlikely that a sexual predator would "see the error of his ways" after a time of incarceration in a predominately violent and sexually charged environment surrounded by other felons.

Not saying people can't change (what kind of social worker would I be if I did!), but sexual offenders rarely do.

Do you know that Christ can change a sex offender (I thought when someone becomes a Christian they are a new creation?)

Also... do you understand that many guys who are labeled as sex offenders wouldn't be considered sex offenders in other countries? What I'm talking about is the 19 year old guy who goes to a party and ends up sleeping with a very willing 15 year old girl who ends up getting pregnant. She goes to the abortion clinic and the State finds out that the guy who she claims seduced her was an adult, while she was a minor. The State steps in and presses charges against the 19 year old guy, labeling him as a child rapist, putting his mug shots on the internet for all to see and making him register for the rest of his life as a sex offender no matter where he moves. His life is ruined, and later, when he gets married and has kids, they might take his kids away.

That is reality. I've seen it happen.

Rock

[oohmercyme]

I assume you are being sarcastic when you say "didn't you know that everyone in Christ is a new creation." Obviously that is a basic tenant of Christianity. I should have mentioned it in my previous answer, however, the *vast* information provided in the article does not enlighten us as to whether or not this man has come to know Christ. Although, myself being a new creation in Christ, I admit, I sin on a regular basis.

I will also agree that in other countries men would not be called sex offenders for what you have listed above (although whether the 15 year old is willing or not is immaterial as it is still against the law to have sex with a minor. Depending on the maturity of both people, there could also be a huge power difference between the MAN and the girl. I would no more assume to know the intimate details of their encounter than you).

However, in many countries raping women and kids (not like the example you gave) is NOT considered a crime, nor is beating women, or killing them for being a "disgrace" to their families.

[jaelgomer]

I think there are a lot of details we dont' know about. I don't think that they'd take a baby away from a man who commited a crime once 20 years ago and never again. Trust me, I've seen worse parents than a one time sex offender. There is obviously a lot more involved. For social services to take away this baby, they knew more than we did. They clearly felt like this baby would be better off in foster care. They knew this couple more than we do, and they knew they would not be the best parents. They knew they would not be able to take care of this child.
Working for the state, I see all kinds of parents. If some of the girls I see going into the DSS office are able to walk back out with that baby, then clearly, there was something more than we can see going on that would raise flags and cause the agency to take custody of that baby.
It's true, sex offenders are a lot harder to "cure". ONLY Jesus can completley cure the sex offender. And even then, it is easy for them to slip back into their old ways. Satan seriously preys on them. They have a problem, and it takes ongoing therapy to keep them well. Even if they do have Jesus, I believe they need to continue gettign help.
I hope this baby can get parents who will love him and be able to give their all to take care of him. A drug addicted mom and a sex addicted father I don't believe can provide the best home for a newborn baby.