Tighter law on child protection

A number of highly publicized cases of child abuse in 2007 have led the government to tighten the law on the protection of children. The bill envisages more qualified social workers to detect cases of abuse and a clear definition of what kind of environment a child can be placed in, in the event of a messy custody battle. The nation was shocked this year by the case of a mother who severely abused her own children, shutting a 7-year old boy in a broom cupboard for days on end where he was bound, naked and made to eat his own vomit. The case of a perfectly healthy ten year old girl whom a judge sent to a mental home because her parents couldn’t agree on custody rights also revealed serious failings in the legal system.