[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Minister Must Intervene in Mother-Child Separation_N McKim MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

MINISTER MUST INTERVENE IN MOTHER-CHILD SEPARATION

Nick McKim MP
Greens Opposition Leader

Thursday, 28 August 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today described as 'profoundly disturbing' the
removal of a new born baby from its mother, who is an inmate at Risdon
prison, only hours after birth, and have called on the Justice Minister
to intervene to reunite mother and baby as long as there are no child
welfare reasons why this should not occur.

Greens Opposition Leader and Shadow Justice spokesperson Nick McKim MP
said that the interests of the child must be paramount at all times, and
any decision to separate a mother and child should only be based upon
protecting the interests of the child, and not be due to the security
status of any inmate.  

"This is a profoundly shocking situation, and Justice Minister David
Llewellyn must immediately intervene to investigate the basis on which
the authorities took such drastic action, and to ensure that the mother
and child are reunited as soon as possible as long as that is in the
best interests of the child," Mr McKim said.

"It would be a breach of human rights for mother and child to have been
separated only due to the Prison Service's security status of the
mother."

Mr McKim also said that the Greens recognise that there are instances
where it is in the interests of children that they are separated from
the parents or their responsible adults, but that in this particular
case there is insufficient information at this stage to know the basis
of the authorities' decision.  

 




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