While most custody issues involve parents or legal caretakers fighting over a child, it is important to remember that there are other kinds of custody issues which may occur in Sarasota. For example, a child custody case may center on a parent trying to obtain custody from the state after the child has been removed. Another type of custody case may highlight grandparents’ rights in which a grandparent is seeking custody because the parent is unable to care for the child.
One father in Ocala apparently lost custody of his baby girl after he tried to treat her breathing problem with a small amount of bleach. The father, a pre-med student, said that another student recommended using it. As a result of the home treatment, he was charged with domestic aggravated child abuse and, in a recent hearing, the mother of the baby was awarded sole custody.
The father said that he realized almost immediately the error he had made and allegedly contacted both sets of grandparents and the local 911 line. He also admitted that he made a terrible mistake but emphasized that he would never have deliberately hurt the baby. He was ordered to stay away from the child, who is expected to be alright.
If the father is able to convince a judge that he did not intentionally harm his child, and that this was simply a terrible misjudgment, he may be able to seek joint custody. This will likely be a difficult decision for a judge to make, as the primary purpose is to make sure that the ruling will be in the best interests of the child. Anyone who is trying to regain custody of their child may want to talk to an attorney about their case.
Source: Ocala, “DCF: Dad who fed bleach to baby denied contact with child,” Austin L. Miller, Feb. 19, 2013
