DB and his ex wife have a 4 year old child.
They separated when their child was a baby.
He would spend every weekend with his child fri-sun.
His ex got a new boyfriend, DB asked to meet him if he was going to be around their child. She refused saying her was being controlling.
It turns out he had a long history of convictions and violence and wasn't allowed contact with his own DC. His ex was fully aware of all of this and refused to separate from him despite warnings from social services and the police.
Social services got involved after worried neighbours said he was selling drugs from her house.
DB's child was put on the child at risk register because of his ex's continued involvement with the man. His ex requested social services not tell DB his child was on the register or involved which social services "because he'd take it the wrong way". They agreed not to tell him.
The relationship was violent and they regularly attacked each other. DB found out the extent of the situation after a YEAR from a worried friend of his ex.
He refused to hand his child back after contact. He contacted social services who informed him his child had been for a year and still was on the at risk register.
His ex's relationship ended with a very nasty violent scene with eased by his child.
He allowed the mother a visit, she ran away with the child and a lengthy court battle ensued costing DB over 15k.
His child now lives at the opposite end of the country as the court decided the mother had done enough to prove she was clean and wouldn't enter into any more inappropriate relationships.
We really feel this could have been avoided of social services had informed him of the risk his child was at rather than hiding it from him. Was this even legal? Can he take them to court?