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| icq 138672587 |
| CHILDRENS RIGHTS |
| This is my son, Joel. He has the great fortune of having the most loving father that you can imagine. However he also has the missfortune to have a mother who does not accept the fathers importance in a childs life. I am not going to go into details about my situation, it is pretty standard for a whole load of men in Sweden and elsewhere in the world. I enclose a link here to a text I wrote a number of years ago when Joel was very small to outline a little bit of the background. It is naivly written and not what I would write today. My eyes have been opened a lot since then to the inadequacy of the laws here in Sweden and, from what I have heard from others, elsewhere too. But is is an OK introduction. We have serious sex discrimination here. Probably the only judicial example of true sex discrimination existing in Swedish law. And amazingly, when you take account of the feminist dominance in Swedish media, it is men who are discriminated against! I have unashamedly cut out, slightly edited, translated and posted a text which I found at http://home.tiscali.se/~anderskl/index.html. You will find it just under this text.It puts the whole situation into perfect perspective. Unfortunately there is no clue to the identity of the author. If he objects then I hope he gets in touch with me. I link you also to other organisations in Sweden and elsewhere who are working for the rights of our children. Because in the end that is what it is all about. I would love to discuss these issues on the forum. I would particularly like to hear the views of parents all over the world with experience of these issues. How does it work in your countries? Email me or get in touch with me over icq. My number is 138672587. |
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| Can you seriously answer yes to these questions? Can it really be right that: -a parent doesn’t have the right to be notified about the death of his child? -a parent doesn’t have the right to go to his childs nursery school if the custodial parent doesn’t wish it? -a parent has to pay nursery charges without knowing the costs involved if the custodial parent wishes it? -a parent can be denied all information about his childs well being if the custodial parent wishes it? -a parent can be denied all information about his childs school performance if the custodial parent wishes it? -a sick child can be denied the kidney of his parent if the custodial parent doesn’t wish it? -a social worker who takes on a custody or visitation battle never has to motivate his recommendations? -it can take up to 18 months before decisions are made regarding a parents visitation rights? -it can take up to 18 months before decisions are made regarding custody? -it can take up to 18 months before decisions are made regarding maintenance? -a custodial parent only needs to express ”worrying circumstances” to free the other parent of his parent responsibility? -a parent doesn’t have the right to call and speak to his child on the telephone? -a childs right to two responsible equal parents is totally dependant on whether his parents are married. For only then is dual custody guaranteed and equal parenting possible? -a child cannot be allowed to feel that mum and dad are equally important, it the custodial parent doesn’t wish it? -both parents contribution to a childs development are of unequal importance if the custodial parent wishes it? -that the term ”the child is suffering” named in Swedish law in practice can be substituted for the term, ”the custodial parent doesn’t wish it.” -that the term ”the child is suffering” does not apply when applied to the custodial parent? Then you are living in the right country. It must be right because this is Sweden today! http://home.tiscali.se/~anderskl/index.html |
| So what does the above really mean? Up until 1998 in Sweden it was impossible to get dual custody as an unmarried father if the mother didn't want it. She had no need to motivate her decision or to discuss them. As you can see from the text above this leaves the father (or any non custodial parent, but nearly always the father) totally without basic parenting rights and the child without two equal parents.. After 1998, against the wishes of many mothering organisations and feminist groups, the law was changed. Now it is possible to get dual custody against the will of the other parent by taking her to court. It is costly and a pain but it is a step in the right direction. This is how I, after 3 years of fighting, managed to get dual custody of my eldest son. Obviously Automatic Dual Custody is a must. To read more about this go to this link. It will not solve all of the problems but at least it gives fathers the chance to actively partake in their childrens lives. Tom |
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| MY LINKS My text about my early struggle for my oldest son My text about Automatic Dual Custody Discuss these issues on My Forum |
| EXTERNAL LINKS There are so many good links out there that they get their own page. Go to them from here and be nice and tell the people there about this site! Thanks Tom |
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