Unlawful state (local authority) surveillance

[heartbrokenfather]

Hi All.

I am once again looking for help and advice regarding the local authority.

The title of this topic might of already given you a good idea about what I am going to be asking.

Can anyone please advice if the local authority has the right and or authority put put any person(s), and or home under surveillance.

I ask this due to more then one of the children during contact have disclosed to me that they feel like they are being watched while at home, while walking to and from school, while going to and from the shop, and while playing out in public. I have not been able to ask the children any details regarding this as I am sure that the local authority would quickly stop all contact with the children, and claim that I have been inappropriate. The disclosers by the children started soon after I started having regular contact with the children, But shortly after bail conditions where put into place stating that I can only have supervised contacted by the local authority with the children, The disclosers have been more often and more concerning.

My wife has also previously sated to me that she feels like she is being watch at and around the family home, she also feels like she is being followed while out.

I have also had the feeling of being watched and followed, and there has been a number of times that I have been working on my car or my friends car when I am 99.9% sure that I have seen the Children's Services Team Manager drive past me, and some times walk past me.

I do not have proof of the above and I know some times the mind does play tricks on you, but when you have several of the children saying it, my wife saying it, and also myself, you do get the deep down feeling that it must be correct.

Human Rights Article 8: Right to respect for private and family life.

(1) Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.
(2) There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as is in accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety or the economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

liberty-human-rights.org.uk: Article 8

Private life

The concept of a right to a private life encompasses the importance of personal dignity and autonomy and the interaction a person has with others, both in private or in public.

Respect for one’s private life includes:

respect for individual sexuality (so, for example, investigations into the sexuality of members of the armed forces engages the right to respect for a private life);
the right to personal autonomy and physical and psychological integrity, i.e. the right not to be physically interfered with;
respect for private and confidential information, particularly the storing and sharing of such information;
the right not to be subject to unlawful state surveillance;
respect for privacy when one has a reasonable expectation of privacy; and
the right to control the dissemination of information about one’s private life, including photographs taken covertly.

Respect for the home
Right to respect for the home includes a right not to have one’s home life interfered with, including by unlawful surveillance, unlawful entry, arbitrary evictions etc.

Can I please have your views and advice on this matter?

Thanks again for your time.

Best Regards.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear heartbrokenfather,

Yes spot checks, unannounced visits and surveillance can be carried out by children services when there are safeguarding concerns.
If they are worried that Mum might be allowing you to have unsupervised contact, they may do these kinds of checks.
Or if they wanted to make sure that you and mum were sticking to an agreed contract of expectations, they may do checks to ensure that was actually happening. In fact, often a contract will state that checks/ unannounced visits will be carried out by children services.

Best wishes,

Suzie

[Murray72]

Yes the local authority also use private investigators to gain video and photographic evidence that can be used in court to prove if either you or your wife have broken and court order or agreement.

The LA can apply to court for an emergency protection order to remove the children using this evidence.