2021-05-03 17:28:33
Update on the Pat Sweeney case whose children were removed from his care after the gardaí broke into his home at 3AM on a spurious claim that he was mentally ill.
There's a suggestion that Pat Sweeney had his children with him on the day that he video recorded himself challenging the gardaí who raided an Athlone church and consequently he is being considered a threat to his children for not abiding covid19 regulations.
If true, this is a very disturbing development. To quote the ISAG on twitter:
"The Irish state has made it clear with actions in Athlone that they will misuse legislation to confiscate children of political dissidents."
Every fear people had about the referendum on children has been entirely validated.
His children have now been disappeared into a black hole of foster care under the authority of TUSLA. The gardaí can't tell him where they are because they aren't told.
This case will go before a family law court, possibly tomorrow. The case will be heard in-camera. That means the public cannot attend court or report on what happened.
After the case, anyone who speaks about the case publicly (including the father of the missing children) will be found to be in contempt of the in-camera rule and they can be jailed or fined up to €50K. You might remember Angela Ray being jailed repeatedly for this reason.
This is how the state keeps people silenced.
Polish TV made a documentary about a Polish woman whose child was taken from her by TUSLA as it was impossible for her to tell her story in Ireland.
Unless Pat Sweeney has very deep pockets, he won't be able to afford a legal team that will be able to match TUSLA's. TUSLA will request an emergency care order and the chances of it being granted are almost 100% on condition that a parental capacity assessment and psychological report is conducted on Patrick.
The parental capacity assessment is designed in such a way that the parents fail.
Anna Kavanagh who has spent the last two years investigating the system and listening to parents whose children have been taken by TUSLA has not met a single parent who passed the assessment or psychological report.
Keep in mind, Patrick Sweeney hasn't slept in 50 hours while searching for his children.
The process of getting your children returned is dragged out for years and years. In 2016, there was an investigation into why one child called Grace was left for 13 years in a foster home under the direction of TUSLA despite social workers being aware she was being sexually abused there. The investigation is still ongoing and it has cost €7 million so far.
If you manage to get a TD to raise your case in the Dáil, the Minister of Justice or Children will just reply that they can't comment on individual cases and it's an operational matter for TUSLA.
All of the government funding given to NGOs who work in the are of child welfare comes through TUSLA (because of course it does).
TUSLA was set up as a self-policing organisation by Fine Gael's Frances Fitzgerald.
You might remember when Maurice McCabe began whistleblowing on corruption in the gardaí (which would ultimately lead to the resignation of the Fine Gael Minister for Justice Alan Shatter) TUSLA opened a file on McCabe based on the lie that he sexually abused his children.
Anna Kavanagh is requesting people to bombard the inboxes of the the Ministers of Justice and children with a simple message that you are appalled at what happened to Patrick Sweeney over the weekend.
This is a matter of utmost seriousness and it's important to act fast.
Here are their emails:
info@justice.ie
heather.humphreys@oir.ie
roderic.ogorman@oireachtas.ie
5.7K viewsedited 14:28
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