Germany's women's shelters have joined the country's largest single parents' organization in opposing increased rights for unmarried fathers. Until now, the fathers of children born out of wedlock in Germany had no legally guaranteed custody rights. Mothers had the right to withhold joint custody, leaving the father to sue the mother for visitation rights. But Edith Schwab, head of Germany's Association of Single Mothers and Fathers, says the Federal Constitutional Court's decision last week to grant custody rights to unwed fathers is bad news for single mothers, who themselves will now have to fight to keep unfit fathers from raising their children.
Germany's women's shelters have joined the country's largest single parents' organization in opposing increased rights for unmarried fathers.
Until now, the fathers of children born out of wedlock in Germany had no legally guaranteed custody rights. Mothers had the right to withhold joint custody, leaving the father to sue the mother for visitation rights.
But Edith Schwab, head of Germany's Association of Single Mothers and Fathers, says the Federal Constitutional Court's decision last week to grant custody rights to unwed fathers is bad news for single mothers, who themselves will now have to fight to keep unfit fathers from raising their children.
On August 3, Germany's Constitutional Court ruled that "the current legal situation excessively encroached on paternity rights for fathers of children born out of wedlock, because they could only take part in raising the child with the mother's consent," according to spokeswoman Judith Blohm.The constitutional court ruled that fathers should have the same rights as mothers Blohm said that until now "the fathers also didn't have the right to have a court determine what arrangement was in the best interest of the child."
The constitutional court ruled that fathers should have the same rights as mothers
Blohm said that until now "the fathers also didn't have the right to have a court determine what arrangement was in the best interest of the child."
So what's wrong with this decision?
to fight to keep unfit fathers from raising their children
What about unfit mothers? "Ce qui vient au monde pour ne rien troubler ne mérite ni égards ni patience." René Char
In these cases, a judicial decision (by the foreign authorities) to give the father rights was overruled by the german court. A free fox in a free henhouse!
when the biological parent with the most wealth is the father, that could empower him to intimidate and manipulate the mother via legal processes
Or so the story goes on some solicitors' websites... By laying out pros and cons we risk inducing people to join the debate, and losing control of a process that only we fully understand. - Alan Greenspan
