Minister calls for abusive partners to lose custody of children (Spain)

Spain's Minster of Health & Equality has joined my list of heroes. It's too bad that other national leaders don't follow her example in defending the rights of children to a happy, safe, and secure childhood. Abusers should not be awarded the "right" to custody of their children. And amazingly, some of these guys have murdered the mother, and still got the right to call the shots on custody. I know of several cases in the U.S. where jailed fathers have been given the right to dictate who takes care of their kids or demand jailhouse visitation. That's just wrong.

Hat tip to Annie.

http://thereader.es/en/spain-news-stories/5285-Minister-calls-for-abusive-partners-to-lose-custody-of-children.html

Minister calls for abusive partners to lose custody of children
Thursday, 25 November 2010 11:00

Health & Equality Minister, Leire Pajín, announced today her intention to suggest a change in the law at tomorrow's Council of Ministers meeting, which would give judges the power to stop abusive partners from having custody of their children.

Pajín made her announcement as part of today's "International Day against home Violence", in which she remembered the 64 women who have perished in Spain this year at the hands of their partners.

"We cannot allow those who are violent or who kill to have custody of their children", she stressed.

Current law provides for the removal of shared custody rights from the perpetrators of home violence, but does not regulate those cases where a mother dies as the result of her partner's violence, leaving custody in the hands of the Her dad.The changes proposed by Pajín today would also see the correct of the perpetrator to inherit his dead partner's property removed.

"We need to keep working to make rid society of this scourge," she went on, "and to make sure that victims report violence against them." She insisted that it was essential that women denounced violent behaviour against them, reassuring victims that they are not alone and that the state provides people to help them recover their self-esteem and dignity.