Child protection issue...help needed

[Mammybadgirl]

I don't usually post but have a problem and need some advice.

My friend and her partner have an 8 week old baby. They discovered last week his arm had gone floppy, took him to hospital, and found out it was broken.

They are now being investigated under child protection laws (social workers, police etc). They are not allowed to bring him home from hospital and are allowed daytime contact only (she is breastfeeding). They have been told they are going to be arrested on Monday.

Does anyone have any experience or advice about this?

Also any ideas about what I can do to help them?

Cheers

Message withdrawn

i feel for these parents i do BUT ultimately the hospital has to act in the best interests of the baby, if there is a chance it was deliberate they can't very well allow the child home unsupervised.

i imagine if they are going to be arrested, there is something serious that indicates the harm was deliberate. however awful that is, itmight be the case. the child might have fallen off something, or worse.

i guess you must support them, and be there, and make food etc and do what you would do in any sort of crisis

if the arm was broken at birth, that is 7 -8 weeks ago, and would have manifested itself by now? maybe?

awful and sad situation all round

Dont get too excited about an 'arrest'. The 'arrest' allows the police to question them under caution . gives them the right to have leagl advice etx ec . As they have been warned that they will be arrested then they have time to arrange decent legal representaion. Better then it suddenyl being sprung on them and they have the 'duty solictor ' .

the whole point of them being questioned is that evidnce can be obtained as to whether a crime has been commited or NOT. If ther is resonable grounds to belive that an offence has been commiteed then they can be arrested - 8 week old baby , broken arm , medical experts at the moment belive it is a NAI ( non accidental injury )

On the other hand the police may have asked them to attend voluntarily at the police and they would not be arrested. They would still be interviewed under caution and have legal advice but the differnce being that they would be able to leave at any time .

just ebcause someone is arrested doesn't mean to say that they are guilty and that they will be charged with assult etc .

It is all part of the process of investifating what has happened to the child and the childs welfare is most important - I'm afraid not the parents.

How are things with your friends and their baby, Mammybadgirl?