Thank you so much to all of you who were thinking of us this morning, in court with ‘Serena’. There was a phalanx of church family who turned up to support her and we all sat there looking fiercely at everyone 😉
We waited for an hour, while Hub, Serena and then our treasurer (who is a witness) were grilled in turn by the woman barrister. This is the first time Serena’s had a woman, and a good thing too. It should be mandatory for trafficking cases.
We then learned that although our judge only had 2 cases to hear, he was in the middle of a deportation hearing with a prisoner and it was likely to take at least 2 hours. In the end the Home Office rep asked for an adjournment.
We all sagged – not again. This is the 6th time Serena has been to court, only to have the case postponed. But this time there is a good reason: her psychiatric report recommends that social services are involved in order to make a thorough assessment of their health needs and child welfare. This had not been done, and must be done now, before another hearing.
So we go back in 8 weeks, hoping like mad that social services will have had time to do their stuff.
Ho hum. On we go :**:
Godschool's Blog 
I’m very sorry to learn there was yet another delay. The law doesn’t seem to be so different to what it was in the time of Charles Dickens, ( Clive Anderson last night). Social workers can be good and helpful, I hope that will be Serena’s experience. Hang on to the crumb of comfort.
Liz xx.
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Many thanks for those encouraging words, Liz.
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Some cases can be very frustrating. Sometime adjournments seem designed to weaken your resolve. Good luck!
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Once again, you are spot on, Hutt.
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I Was praying for You all even though I had just been sideswiped by a Rumanian lorry on the m62. I am afraid I Was a little unkind on My thoughts to foreigners just at that moment. Hope the reports Will all help next time.
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Thanks, Murphy – especially in the circumstances! I bet the lorry was a left-hand drive … thank goodness you are OK.
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You MUST be exhausted gill and your husband, fingers crossed, thinking of you xx
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Thanks, Barbara! I am feeling grouchy today … 😦 Now there are recriminations because Serena’s lawyer is furious at what happened 8|
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I guess it was to be expected that there would be some recriminations. Hope your feeling less grouchy but you are entitled to be considering. Have a nice weekend xx
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Thanks for the understanding 😉 Feeling less grouchy!
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What a terrible thing to happen. I bet you are all tired x
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I am SHATTERED, Indigo … so is Hub! Looking forward to a quiet evening with PLEASE not too many phone calls … :no:
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0hh that must be awful when she must be so anxious to get it sorted.xx
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I can’t believe how much they’ve messed her around. It seems now like it’s personalities in conflict with each other in that court, all trying to get the better of each other instead of doing what’s best for mother and child. FUME!!!
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People think we are paranoid when we say some one is messing us about making things harder for us but some times its the case,and of course some are paranoid. I am so sorry for whats happening.
It reminds me of when i found a kitchen crying with a broken tail i rushed of to the vets prepared to pay for it to be put right even though it wasnt mine and i expected them to give the poor little thing some thing but they didnt they dumped it in a cage and said it will have to wait until monday and that was friday so i left it still crying. I dont understand the attitude to be honist dont these people ever think of what others are going through or am i too soft.xx
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If you’re too soft, so am I … caring about how others feel, be they human or animal is called compassion. Doesn’t seem to be much of it about sometimes :no:
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I fear your right about that gilly,when it is in the hands of some one to help make some thing right for some one else and they dont care to do so they leave me dismayed.xx
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When it is in the hands of some one to make some thing right for some one else and they dont i am dismayed. I have often found myself held back by people who wont cooperate and seem to enjoy kicking a dog when its down one might say. We can find ourselves dependant upon some one else at times in our life whoever we are,i hate suffering and i would want to be prompt at helping prevent it, i dont understand some people.xx
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I totally agree, Jane, and so would Serena’s lawyer. He says he wonders how some people sleep at night – especially the Home Office lawyer and the judge, who was very weak, and had to be prompted by both barristers. It’s worrying to realise that people’s whole lives and futures are in the hands of those who seem more interested in scoring one over their opponent, than doing the best for the victims.
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Things sometimes happen for a reason: hang in there! She is lucky to have your caring support!
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Yes, they do, Bonnie. Thanks.
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The law does seem to work slowly but surely thats good that she is allowed to stay in the country until the case is held – hopefully in that time she’ll be able to secure some work for herself and so give herself a stronger case?
Keeping our fingers crossed for you here – as we are still waiting on a court case that first should have come to Court back in June!
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That’s the trouble – people without right to remain are forbidden to work, and they are often moved by the Home Office around the country in an arbitrary way – it would seem, to prevent them putting down roots anywhere.
Sorry to hear you are hanging on and on too. It makes me so mad – these lawyers are paid vast sums which they make out of people’s misery. :>
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Awwwwww…….:roll: Perhaps! Just, perhaps, these adjournments augur well…..;)x
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The barrister claimed that they were inching forward in the right direction … we’ve just had the solicitor spitting nails on the phone because he had instructed her not to agree to an adjournment, and she did … lots of blame games going on now. How do some people sleep at night, making life impossible for the vulnerable??? :>
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If there is light at the end of the tunnel….They (Barrister-team) might just be tempted to ‘eke out’ a ‘little more’….:>> xxx
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Solicitor so angry he is writing an official complaint and demanding a judicial review … all very well, but from the little I’ve seen of the system, it seems to come down to personalities and jockeying for space: this may well be taken by the ‘opposition’ as an invitation to war …? Oh dear 😦
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That is so frustrating, the poor girl must be totally deflated. Hopefully Social Services will get their act together and produce a supporting report!
Love the way you all glared fiecely!!!lol!xxxx
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The solicitor is SPITTING NAILS !!!
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I bet you are too!!!xxxx
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Too tired by the whole proceed-cake, as Winnie the Pooh would say …:zz:
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Oh my goodness….one day at a time..is the only way you take something like this, and yes let’s hope everyone does what they are supposed to do by the next hearing. x
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Thanks, Janet.
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oh blimey! It seems outrageous they keep adjourning everything and causing such huge stress all the time. Am so sorry…. but it sounds as if it may well turn out for the best if social services are involved and assessments are done properly……
Well my two candles are still burning for Serena’s cause…. will keep her and her daughter in my prayers.
wow it must have been so deflating 😦
you live to fight another day though….. HUGSxxxx
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thanks so much, dt! The woman barrister was very good, not promising that things were bound to go well, but being very realistic and warning us that there might be yet another adjournment. So we were prepared, but it was still very disappointing. Serena’s gone home to sleep – it’s all so stressful and exhausting.
Keep praying … we will see off the Home Office!!! :yes:
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Yes indeed… Poor Serena – not surprised she has gone home to sleep with the exhaustion of the stress of it all. I cannot begin to imagine how terrifying it must be to know that there are people who have the power to just send you somewhere that you will have no protection or care from atrocities etc…..
Watched that ‘Banged up abroad’ programme last night and there is some young chap stuck in Peru after spending ten months in an absolutely vile prison because a woman had duped him into travelling with her and then finding kilos and kilos of cocaine in her luggage… He had no idea… and even though the woman said in her statement he had no idea and she had used him, he still can’t come home until her case has been to court. Her womens’ prison is much much nicer than where he is now living even though he is no longer in the mens prison…. :no:
Flippin’ heck…. Other countries…..
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I know :yes:
The barrister did say that she felt the case was inching forwards in the right direction, so that was a crumb of comfort.
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Good… that is something. All this inching about is tortuous though isn’t it? However…. in the right direction … is something to hang onto….
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Definitely. Just hope she doesn’t go spiralling into a worse depression 😦
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The stress must be awful. And the feeling of impotence and helplessness and the non-recognition of what she and her daughter have been through etc by the powers that be… a horrible place to be in, in the head 😦
She is very lucky to have so much support from you and hub and the people from the church etc …..
It has to turn out right in the end….
Daughter’s dad got deported pretty darn quickly when he was rumbled…. He had no real excuse for being here….. so the fact she has lasted here so long so far is a positive sign.
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Granddaughter’s Dad is still not deported, still living illegally in London and, I suspect, working. Who knows what he’s up to? When I knew his address (4 years ago) I’m afraid I did give it to the Borders’ Agency, because he was causing such havoc: but they didn’t move fast enough, and now he’s gone under the radar.
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Oh heck….. They have a whole network to help them keep going over here I think. But Daughter’s dad did get deported pretty sharpish so the fact Serena is still here suggests it will all go differently – hopefully…..
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Yes, it’s looking reasonably positive … but now the solicitor is writing a very angry letter to the court and is demanding a judicial review and I fear that might have the exact opposite effect than the one we want 😦
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Oh how scarey… but the solicitor should know how to go about things and maybe the court know they need a keep up the wotsits and will ‘jump to’? Let’s hope. Just have to offer the situation up madly and persistently……
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Phew, I am so glad God is bigger and better than all this and I’m sure He cares for Serena and Tila and He tells us to care for them too … so there’s nothing else we can do :yes: Thanks for all the support – it means A LOT!!
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🙂 HUGS!! xxxxxxxx
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Ooh lovely, thanks 😉
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