I imagine that the fury that I feel is nothing compared to what he feels. Is there anything that he can do? Any further appeal possibilities?

He is a destitute and broken man by now. If he has the energy he will get a pro bono team for an appeal.

I just don't know what to say. Obviously, I'm praying for an upturn in his fortunes, but beyond that... words just can't get a handle on it. I hope that someone, somewhere, has the insight and the power to see the cracks and bring them to light.

Me too.

The flaws in the Social Services investigations are VERY apparent: the judge included hearsay in her judgement: the mother's statements are bizarre and self-contradictory, as are the statements of her new partner - the prime suspect for the abuse in question. There wee also several straight lies, challenged and proved, but not taken into consideration by the judge.

The little boy even said to a teacher "If I tell the truth [the partner] may get in trouble and go to jail." The social workers and the judge completely ignored this, reasoning, strangely, that he had been told to tell the truth and therefore must have told the truth. In his second statement only, that is, the one where he changed his story and accused the father not the partner.

Effectively finding my friend guilty of criminal behaviour without the slightest semblance of the application of the standards of proof required for criminal conviction. The barrister for the boy's Guardian put my friend on the stand for hours, and asked the partner ONE question. Which he did not follow up.

The early assumption that my friend was double bluffing by reporting the abuse was never questioned by any of the professionals after the first case worker believed the mother absolutely on his first visit.

I have done what I could, but in the end it has exhausted me emotionally.

Well, only one solution left then.

KILLING SPREE!

Pffff.

Sorry. Impotence makes me flippant.

And floppant, too?

I am sorry to hear this. Very sad. I know someone who has just being accused of abusing his daughter by his wife - who left him some weeks ago for another man. He is reeling in shock.

Why? Why do mothers do this?

Dunno, Wendz.

In this case there has long been bad blood between the two parents, who were only together a short time. The mother is a bad egg, in my view. A wannabee, once a 'film director' and now a 'scriptwriter'. No commissions so far.

She seems to hate the father so much that she decided to side with the partner - who she thinks will be rich - against her own child. The partner thinks that she will be rich - she has a gay millionaire uncle in Florida. Follow the money.

They put up a good show of unity for the Court. Quite false. I myself heard the little boy say that "Mummy and [partner] are no more".

Gah.

Words fail me, they really (but rarely) do. I mean...
but...
didn't anyone...
why did they...
if it happened to him...
and justice for all?