In Florida, there are laws designed to keep children safe. For example, child custody rights may be lost if a parent shows signs of abusing or neglecting their children, even if the instance of abuse or neglect is not considered “extreme”.
This is the case with one mother who recently lost the custody of her two children. The kids, 4 and 5 years old respectively, were left behind at a Social Security office for almost an hour. This is because the mother’s car was in the process of being repossessed. It was reported that she ran outside and got into the car while it was in the process of being repossessed. She then drove over the curb and onto the sidewalk, driving through the grass and coming very close to hitting the building. She drove away and returned on foot roughly 50 minutes later.
The mother not only lost custody of her children, but she is also going to be facing two counts of neglect without great bodily harm. Due to the fact that she caused a scene in and around the Social Security office, she is also facing a federal citation for “creating a disturbance” in a federal office building. It is unknown whether or not she will be able to regain custody of her children.
Dealing with custody issues of this nature can be difficult and complex. Anyone who finds themselves at risk for losing custody of their children should contact an attorney to improve their chances of being able to keep their kids.
Source: Miami Herald, “Florida mom accused of abandoning 2 children to block car repossession,” Sep 27, 2015
