Opinion on bruises?

[LouS09]

Hello

My son had to have a child protection examination over the weekend because he had come home from his fathers for the second time with unexplained bruises that look like grab marks (the gp said they look like grab marks).

It took a few days till I managed to get him seen by a paediatrician due to the social worker refusing to refer him so some of the bruises had faded. The paediatrician said that the police will deal with the photos I had already taken but from the examination the paediatrician could not decide whether or not the bruises are accidental or non accidental due to some being in suspicious areas and others not.

They're having another meeting tomorrow but my head is all over the place and I just want a straight answer. Does anyone know anything about the process of the decision making and what could happen if they can't prove whether it was or wasn't non accidental? I just feel clueless right now and I just want my baby to be safe. I left his father when we was a newborn due to domestic abuse but he was granted every other weekend unsupervised.

Thankyou in advance

[Spanglebangle]

I'm so sorry you are going through this. Hopefully it will get sorted quickly. Ideally I suppose you are hoping with the previous DV his contact will be changed to supervised.

I don't know the process or what will happen but I guess worst case scenario it is deemed accidental and access continues as it is.

I assume DS is not old enough to communicate if anything has happened?

[YoBeaches]

You might get more response until he legal section OP. Have you asked ex what's happened? Appreciate you won't be on best of terms, does he know a social services referral is occurring?

[ThePricklySheep]

In my second hand experience, if the bruises could have been made by the child, then they won’t do very much. This might be different if they take history into account, I don’t know about that.
How old is your child?

[RosesAndHellebores]

Do you think your son's father did it? If so, don't send him back.

This sort of story involving SS really winds me up. Although I suppose you need proof there were no bruises before he went to his fathers'

[LouS09]

My son is 2 so i can't really find out what exactly happened, although the first time he came home with bruises when I was looking at them he said his grandad hit him. He has said this on a few occasions which I thought was strange.

His father has just said that the bruises were there before he had my son and didn't take pictures because he didn't think they were anything to worry about.

He is aware that SS are involved. The nursery made the referral due to my son becoming aggressive and his fathers girlfriend telling me about him abusing her. SS questioned her about it whilst my sons father was there so she is now denying everything she told me and SS are saying there is nothing they can do.

There is a court order in place for my son to see his father which makes things difficult but I have stopped contact whilst it's being investigated. SS seem to be trying to push contact to continue

[RosesAndHellebores]

I am not an expert but I think you need to write in detail your understanding of exactly what us happening in chronological order with dates and send it to SS (copy the Director of Children's Services) and also send it to the Court, I think the order will have been signed by a Judge or Senior Court Official.

And more importantly if you can afford it, appoint a family solicitor or go to CRB.

[RosesAndHellebores]

CAB.

[LouS09]

@RosesAndHellebores Thankyou so much for your advice