Most of us in Colorado probably think of a child custody battle as being between a mother and father during a divorce. While that happens, a recent case brings to light the fact that in some cases the child custody battle is between the parents and the state.
News sources have widely reported the case of two parents who named their child Adolf Hitler. The young boy, now a 6-year-old, has been removed from his parents by a New Jersey judge. Apparently, the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services determined there was sufficient danger posed to the 6-year-old and his three siblings. All four children have been removed by child welfare officials. Their current whereabouts were not reported.
The 6-year-old became a national story in 2009 when a bakery refused to decorate the boy's birthday cake with his name. Young Adolf Hitler Campbell and his siblings were all named in honor of various Nazi figures. The parents are self-proclaimed Nazis, which is their right. However, there have been reports of domestic violence, and New Jersey family services indicated that the children were at risk for abuse and neglect.
According to news sources, the wife once slipped a note under a neighbor's door indicating that her husband had threatened to kill her. The couple has since separated and the wife moved out of state.
More disturbing is the fact that the 6-year-old has also threatened to kill people.
In Colorado, as in New Jersey and most other states, judges will make child custody decisions based on what is in the best interest of the child. One would hope that this is the right decision in this particular case and that permanent harm has not been done.
Source: Huffington Post, "Adolf Hitler Campbell Custody Battle: Parents Will Not Get Kids Back After Nazi Naming," Hilary Tuttle, May 31, 2012
Tags: child abuse and neglect, child custody, custody dispute, parental rights
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