Geldof's essay to be published in new book

Members Login

POSTING GUIDELINES This forum is intended to provide an atmosphere of open communication, where each member can share his or her own insights and opinions. To help achieve this goal, we ask that you: Do not post libelous or illegal material. Do not post harassing or discriminatory comments based on race, ethnic origin, gender, or sexual orientation. Do not solicit or advertise. If you have questions or comments about this forum (such as technical difficulties or performance issues), please contact your forum administrator for the appropriate channel for your inquiry. Moderation Any post that violates the above conditions, or departs from the intended purpose of this forum may be removed without notice by the administration. We reserve the right to edit any post for reasons including, but not limited to: language, length, or content not appropriate to the topic of this forum. Older threads or messages may be removed from time to time, to main to maintain categories or threads of manageable length. Any member who breaches these Guidelines through hostile, abusive or other inappropriate behavior may find their account privileges revoked. Privacy Remember that this is a public forum, and you have no guarantee or expectation of privacy. Your post could be read by anyone. Posts can be traced. We record information about every user of this forum, and will honor any court orders or requests by recognized law authorities for information about individuals posting libelous material. All communications on this board are deemed to by public and not private communications. We reserve the right to remove without notice any message posted for any reason, but we have no obligation to remove content you find objectionable. Regarding your email address and other personal information Although we require your email address for verification purposes, we recommend that you do not post it or any other personal information such, as phone numbers or your home address. Your posts can be searched by bots or third parties that have no affiliation with the administrator of this forum. Disclaimer The views expressed by members of this forum are their own and do not reflect the position of the administrator or other members. Each member is responsible for the content of his/her own posts. Please report any activity that you notice which is libelous, inflammatory, or in violation of common decency to the management immediately.

Post Info

TOPIC: Geldof's essay to be published in new book

Scottie

Loudmouth

Status: Offline

Posts: 2193

Date: Mon Oct 15 1:51 PM, 2007

Geldof's essay to be published in new book	Permalink

Geldof's essay is part of a new book on the subject to be published this week. The details of this are innacurate. Fifi is 24, Peaches 18, Pixie 17 and Tiger 12 (i think) It has not been updated since it was written. If you are interested in this subject, the book would be a valuable asset. The title is in here somewhere. "SIR BOB GELDOF, the singer and Live Aid organiser, has unleashed a blistering attack on the legal system for its treatment of fathers in custody battles. He makes a passionate demand for changes in the law governing access to children after couples break up in an essay to be published this week. He writes: "So many of us are hurting and yet the law will treat the man in court (if my case is typical) with contempt, suspicion, disdain and hostility," adding that the law is "unjustly weighted in favour of women". In an extract published in today's News Review, he says: "The law is creating vast wells of misery, massive discontent, an unstable society of feral children and feckless adolescents who have no understanding of authority, no knowledge of a man's love and how different but equal it is to a woman's. "Family law as it currently stands does not work. It is rarely of benefit to the child and promotes injustice, conflict and unhappiness on a massive scale. Most custody rulings show no understanding of contemporary society." Geldof underwent a bitter custody battle with his late wife Paula Yates after she left him for Michael Hutchence, an Australian rock singer, in 1995. He eventually won custody of their three daughters, Fifi Trixibelle, now 19, Peaches Honeyblossom, 14, and Pixie, 12, who he has brought up single-handedly. He is also the legal guardian of Tiger Lily, 6, Yates's daughter by Hutchence. Hutchence, singer with the band INXS, was found hanged in a Sydney hotel room in 1997. Geldof was one of the last people he spoke to when they allegedly argued on the phone over Yates's rights to see her children. She died of a heroin overdose in 2000. After criticising the law on custody on television chat shows, Geldof said he received more than 70 bin-liners full of letters on the subject. Studies have shown that keeping in contact with both parents is beneficial to children, and that 40% of parents not living with their children ?? the vast majority of them fathers ?? lose all contact with them within two years. But the conflict that can occur when estranged couples arrange contact with children can be bad for their sons and daughters. Geldof wants the law to be remodelled around the Danish system, under which parents are urged to ensure that children divide their time equally between both parents. Official figures show that nine out of 10 single-parent families in Britain are headed by women. Geldof believes the law assumes that women are automatically better at childcare than men, when in recent decades male and female roles have become more blurred. Geldof's essay, entitled The Real Love that Dare Not Speak Its Name: A Sometimes Coherent Rant, is part of a collection of writings by leading experts in the field. Cherie Blair QC is expected to attend the launch of the book in London this week, which has been compiled and edited by a group of academics and lawyers. Geldof has attended seminars and meetings with the group to discuss his contribution to the book, Children and Their Families: Contact, Rights and Welfare. Dr Andrew Bainham, of Christ's College, Cambridge University, who is one of the editors of the book, said: "There has been a lot of debate recently on the subject of contact. It divides people very strongly. There is a view that fathers have an uphill struggle maintaining contact with children, and that the law is stacked against them, and that's Bob's view. "His contribution is unique because it is written from personal experience. He has also had an enormous number of letters from people who have been through the system." The book also examines the psychological cost to families of break-ups and the likely impact of the Human Rights Act on battles between couples over access rights. Another contributor to the book, Dr Shelley Day Sclater of the University of East London, said that while men such as Geldof feel that the law is biased against them for being men, women also often feel hard done by in custody and access and blame it on a gender bias. "Both partners say the court is favouring the other and that they are being badly done by," she said. "The feeling is shared by both women and men." Geldof told The Sunday Times last week: "My agenda is to change this law. It's a blunt instrument and if you're subject to it you're freaking out. On father's day there is a peak of suicides, because of the fathers who are not allowed to see their kids on that day." __________________ Cheers, keep singing, Scottie "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence". http://twitter.com/#!/BobGeldofFans

Page 1 of 1 sorted by

Quick Reply
Please log in to post quick replies.

Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse