IRISH FATHER CASE

From: Walter H. Schneider [mailto:sheep_@telusplanet.net]
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2002 8:12 PM
To: Fathers for Life
Subject: FW: Father jailed for seeking answers to vital constitutional questions
Importance: High

February 21, 2002, Roger Eldridge, father of six, Director of the National Parents Council in Ireland, was jailed for demanding answers from the judge presiding over the latest in a long string of child custody hearings during which Roger Eldridge consistently had his constitutional right violated, the right that entitles him to be a father that is actively involved in caring for and in educating his children.

We'll have to wait and see what evolves in this latest effort to dehumanize fathers and to expunge them from the lives of their children.

Roger Eldridge appears to be in custody right now.  His alleged breach of the law (it isn't know as of now what the charge is) that he committed in the court room in which his children were to be made semi-orphans will be heard in court February 27th -- details are in the forwarded message.  Be there if you at all can.

Please say a prayer for a father and his six children.

Walter Schneider
Fathers for Life, Canada
http://fathersforlife.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Liam O Gogain [mailto:liamogogain@hotmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2002 3:05 PM
To: sheep_@telusplanet.net
Subject: Father jailed for seeking answers to vital constitutional questions

UPDATE

Last Thursday 21/02/02, Roger Eldridge failed to get answers to his statement (below) which he read to the court in Carrick on Shannon, Co.Leitrim. He remained on in the court awating answers. He later chained hinmself to the seating in the court. I understand that the judge, Matt Deery, shifted the rest of the hearings to another room, leaving Roger in the original courtroom. Later that evening the gardai arrested Roger and put him in a cell for the night. Next morning, Fri last, 22/02/02, the gardai brought Roger before the District Court  in Charlestown, Co. Mayo, in front of Judge Mary Fahy, in relation to his refusal to leave the court. This hearing has been adejourned to Wednesday next the 27th of Feb at 11.00 am at Carrick-on-Shannon District Court.

The telephone number in the court is 00-353-(0)78-20002. This hearing is NOT "IN CAMERA" and will be an opportunity for the public to have insight to what's going on in the SECRET Family courts.

If you can  be there or tell someone local to attend, Roger would appreciate the support. The results of this hearing will be public.

Liam O Gogain

Fathers protesting in Courts
----- Original Message -----
From: Roger Eldridge <eldridgeandco@eircom.net
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2002 12:19 AM
Subject: I intend to read this statement into the court record tomorrow.Please distribute this if I fail to appear from the court.

I have come to this court for the past four years because I care deeply for my children and take my responsibility as a parent very seriously.

In response the Court has repeatedly treated our children and me with disrespect.

Because I believe in the Rule of Law I have sought justice from the court on fourteen occasions in my attempts to bring some finality to this case and comfort to our children but again today the court has denied my legitimate and reasonable requests to do that and discounts the distress it will bring for my family.

I am not prepared to accept this any longer.

It is my duty as a Christian to my faith and as a father to my children and in the honourable role as a Director of the National Parents Council post primary to protect my children's rights and the rights of all fit parents to care for and educate their children as enshrined in the Constitution.

ARTICLE 42

1 The State acknowledges that the primary and natural educator of the child is the Family and guarantees to respect the inalienable right and duty of parents to provide, according to their means, for the religious and moral, intellectual, physical and social education of their children.

The Irish version, which is superior to the English translation of 42.1 offers even stronger protection for the inalienable rights of parents.

1 The State acknowledges that the primary and natural educator of the child is the Family and MUST NOT INTERFERE WITH the inalienable right and duty of parents to provide, according to their means, for the religious and moral, intellectual, physical and social education of their children.

The family is the cornerstone of Irish society. Parents carry out their responsibilities in marriage through the exercise of custody over their children.

The Constitution and the National Parents Council recognise, even though their contributions might be different, that mothers and fathers are equally important to their children's well-being.

Through more instinct and luck than judgement and by having to represent myself in court and especially with the help of the many other parents in a similar situation, I have managed to avoid most of the deceits and traps, the threats and bullying, which are all designed to coerce me to voluntarily give up custody of our children. I have not done that so the Court has taken it away.

It behoves me therefore that I should not leave this court today without receiving in writing answers to the following simple requests

A) Under what authority does this court feel able to take custody away from a parent where there is no evidence of a factual nature that the parent is unfit.

B) In particular I demand to be told on what specific grounds this court has decided to take custody away from me when it has repeatedly been shown to the courts satisfaction that I am a fit parent and this has been stated by judges on several occasions.

C) Why the court has refused, since the outset four years ago, my reasonable requests that the court treat both parents with parental equality and parity of esteem as enshrined in the law and Constitution and allow our children to have the benefit of living with their parents for roughly equal time.

This court is convened on the principle of "in the best interests of the child" so our children deserve nothing less than answers to these requests so they can know, when they are old enough to fully understand, why this court has required one of their loving parents to be stripped of their constitutional right to care for them and denied equity of parenting time.

I stand here alone today as a dad who loves all his six beautiful children, who has been described by judges as "a very caring, able and responsible father" and as "equally dependable with the mother as a parent"; also by a Health Board psychologist as "an exemplary parent".

Before I came to court I issued a copy of this statement with instructions that if I failed to appear from the court that this statement be circulated.

I know my message will be received and acted on by millions of people in Ireland and around the world who, like me, have faith and believe in the sacredness of the family and the right of all fit parents to bring up their children according to their conscience without interference from the state.

Whatever punishment this court inflicts on me for refusing to leave the court until I get answers to my questions will be seen as a failure of the family court system to be able show its credentials and will seriously question its legitimacy.

Roger Eldridge
******************

"The young of all animals need to be nurtured.

Uniquely in the animal kingdom however human young require in equal measure an additional input ­ they need to be socialised ­conditioned to understand the advantages and constraints of living in a society with its set of rules.

Humans have evolved in societies as a result of the caring ­both nurturing AND socialising ­ tendencies of mothers and fathers in balance.

It is how well this combination is acknowledged and respected which ultimately measures the success and well-being ­ or otherwise of a society"

Roger Eldridge, June 2000. Foreword to "Things for Dads to do with Kids" by Sam Carroll.