Chile court forces lesbian to give up her daughters

[Frimost]

this is sad.

The Chilean Supreme Court has backed a ruling forcing a lesbian woman to give up custody of her three daughters.

The court rejected allegations of discrimination after Karen Atala took her case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

The Chilean court said her children's development was at risk because she was living in a lesbian relationship.

Confirmation of the ruling will be sent to the Chilean Government, which must respond to the complaint.

Karen Atala lost custody of her children last year and now sees them one weekend a month.

She is fighting to regain care of her daughters but the Supreme Court is unmoved.

Socially conservative

Judicial sources said the court re-affirmed its earlier ruling and argued that due process had been followed.

However, the court's president has delayed publishing the latest decision.

Last May, the court ruled against Ms Atala on the grounds that she was living in a lesbian relationship.

It argued that this could negatively affect the development of the children and eventually create confusion over sexual roles.

Ms Atala complained to the Washington-based Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of gross discrimination.

The commission has taken up the case and asked the Chilean State to justify the ruling.

As a first step, the Chilean Supreme Court has confirmed its position and sent its argument to the government.

Chilean authorities must respond to the commission by the end of the month.

The centre-left government prides itself on being progressive, but Chile is socially conservative and there is an election at the end of the year.

from the bbc
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4540899.stm

 

[Raimondin]

this is sad.




from the bbc
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4540899.stm

Very sad. This is pure discrimmination. There is no abuse or child neglect involved here just on the basis that she is a lesbian. I imagine if there was a husband involved here (or heterosexual situation), and both were savaging each other, beating up each other or spousal abuse, and the kids were witnessing this daily, custody would probably still go to either one of them. How damaging would that be for the kids? Yet here the courts are not considering her role as a parent, or they're blatantly ignoring it. Funny these things always seem to happen on an "election" year. It's always usually more political pressure than social pressure, but maybe in this case it's a combination of both.

 

[DarkAurora]

If the decision has to go through the president of the country, then he is just using this woman and her kids as a political stunt to get more conservative votes.

God, I hate conservatives.

 

[onceburned]

This is the same court which recently ordered the execution of a housecat because it possibly (hadn't been tested) carried rabies. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4524059.stm

The cat has since escaped custody and is now on the loose.

 

[deezire1900]

Courts abuse their power, no mater what country a person lives in.

Here's an Interesting question...

Would you pretend to be straight, if it meant keeping your children?

I know I would! and I am so serious about never ever hiding who you are...but to lose those most precious to you...I would have to say, I would lie.