Mother challenges care orders as sons were 'forcibly' taken from her

A 19-year-old mother has filed an application before the Constitutional Court calling for the revocation of a care order which saw her two-year-old son and a baby of a few months 'forcibly' taken from her. Charmaine Farrugia told the the court that her older son had fallen from his cot and suffered a fracture to the back of his skull. When she took him to hospital, doctors also noticed that the baby had previously suffered fractures to a hand and a foot. They decided that the injuries to the head were caused by a blow, not a fall from the bed. Social services were alerted and a care order was issued. The mother said she knew nothing about the care order until the police called her and asked her to go to the police station. When she went there, with the baby, the baby was 'forcibly' taken from her. Her older son was taken from her while at Mater Dei The woman subsequently filed a case before the Magistrates' Court, which refused to overturn the care order. She therefore filed a Constitutional case, also claiming a breach of human rights. She also pleaded that there had been no report of her mistreating her child. Jimmy Sacco, father of the older boy, joined in the application. Dr...