@bozzalad | ||
British-born Sikh couple told they couldn't adopt a white child due to their Indian heritage sue council for discrimination in landmark case Sandeep and Reena Mander applied to adopt a child in Berkshire in 2015 The couple said they were happy to welcome a child of any race into their home The British-born couple told authorities that their parents had been born in India Authorities in Berkshire said they did not have any Indian children for the couple A British couple who were told they 'couldn't adopt a white child' due to their Indian heritage, took their case to a county court judge today by suing their local Royal Borough council and its adoption service in a landmark case. British-born Sandeep and Reena Mander were told by their local Berkshire adoption service that their application to join the register of approved adopters would be rejected due to their 'Indian background' and that they might have better luck looking to adopt a child from India. The Manders - who are aged in their 30s - began the four-day court battle against the adoption service today with the backing of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. I hope they win and set a precedent. |
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@bozzalad | 5 November 19 | |
Mr Mander highlighted the couple's desire to apply and he was asked to identify his ethnic origin on ringing the adoption agency. When he stated they were both born and raised in Britain but their parents were born in India, Mr Mander was told that they were unlikely to be approved as potential adopters due to their 'Indian background', because only white children were available in Berkshire and the surrounding area. The pair continued in their efforts to apply as they believed their heritage could not be a good reason to reject their application outright. Although the Manders have four spare bedrooms in their house and were willing to offer any child a loving home and indeed were otherwise suitable to adopt, Adopt Berkshire insisted it would still not let them apply to join the approved adopters' register because of their 'Indian heritage.' Mr and Mrs Manders told the court that this was a simple case of direct discrimination on the grounds of race, in breach of Section 13 of the Equality Act 2010 and the European Convention on Human Rights. They are claiming in a private prosecution that they should not have been rejected from even joining the approved adopters' register because of where their parents were born. Judge Melissa Clarke heard from Mrs Mander that husband Sandeep rang Adopt Berkshire to express the couple's desire to apply to adopt, with her listening in the same room. 'I could hear from his voice that something wasn't right, his tone was shocked,' she said. 'I heard something about cultural heritage,' a well-dressed Reena said told the court. 'I felt that I should have the same right to enter the process as anyone else.' Katherine Foster, defence barrister for Adopt Berkshire which deny all the couple's claims, asked: 'You are now determined to attribute racism to these social workers. You interpreted it as being racist when it was not. it sure was racist |
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@9362 | 5 November 19 | |
Good for them. Ridiculous decision colour should not matter in adoptions.
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@bozzalad | 5 November 19 | |
i agree digits it is beyond stupid plus sikhs are lovely |
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@9362 | 5 November 19 | |
I was off English/Indian heritage adopted by white parents. Thank fk didn't have social workers like this
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@eyesore | 5 November 19 | |
I think race should be matched to race , where possible
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@9362 | 5 November 19 | |
They can give a home to a child or children who need it. They are obviously a decent couple. End of story
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@bozzalad | 5 November 19 | |
@ 9362 - 5.11.19 - 05:45pm I was off English/Indian heritage adopted by white parents. Thank fk didn't have social workers like this it is strange how so called professionals are more racist now than forty years ago digits |
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@9362 | 5 November 19 | |
@ eyesore - 5.11.19 - 05:47pm I think race should be matched to race , where possible Well that would have screwed me |
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@bozzalad | 5 November 19 | |
@ 9362 - 5.11.19 - 05:48pm They can give a home to a child or children who need it. They are obviously a decent couple. End of story yep |
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@9362 | 5 November 19 | |
@ bozzalad - 5.11.19 - 05:48pm it is strange how so called professionals are more racist now than forty years ago digits Yes |
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