in World News The birth family of a baby murdered by her gay adoptive father have said she would “still be alive today” if she had not been taken away by social services.
After Monday saw Matthew Scully-Hicks sentenced to life in prison for beating Elsie Scully-Hicks to death just two weeks after her formal adoption, it emerged that the baby had a loving natural family who had fought to keep her with them.
The toddler, who was taken away within days of her birth from her drug user mother, died in hospital in May last year, after four days in a coma having suffered “catastrophic head injuries”.
A victim impact statement reported by the Press Association on Wednesday, detailed how Elsie’s birth family was “extremely attached to her and loved her very much”, and remained in contact throughout the fostering process.
Sian O’Brien, the natural grandmother of Elsie — who was named Shayla after her birth in November 2014 — started proceedings in the family court to become the baby’s legal guardian in January last year.
“I wanted to bring her up in a happy, healthy and warm family environment, that was all taken away from me when social services and the family court decided I would not be able to cope,” she wrote.
“We all continue to fight on even though every day we are numb with pain and hurt deep in the knowledge that Shayla was loved unconditionally by us all as a family and knowing that had she not been taken away from us, she would still be alive today,” O’Brien continued in the statement, speaking on behalf of the family.
“Despite this decision and Shayla being in foster care, we as a family were still able to have weekly contact with her and we saw her without fail at every opportunity.
full story at http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/11/08/family-baby-murdered-gay-adopted-father/