Czechs lose another Strasbourg court dispute

Czechs lose another Strasbourg court dispute
By ČTK / Published 22 June 2007
Paris, June 21 (CTK) - The Czech Republic today lost a European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg dispute with a father and his children who complained about the circumstances under which the children were sent to an asylum institute.
The court ruled that as the step had not been sufficiently substantiated, it violated the article of the European convention on human rights dealing with the right to family life.
The court adjudged a compensation for the suffered moral damage to the complainants. They will also be paid a compensation for their court costs, though smaller than demanded.
The case dealt with a father who had to look after three children after his wife left his home in 1995. He also had to look after her three children.
After a time, the local social care office pointed to his bad social situation (the man was jobless), alleged alcoholism and worsened care for the children. However, emotional ties between the father and children were not questioned.
In 2004, the court decided to place the three children of the original couple and one child of the former wife to an asylum.
The complainant said that their right to family life was violated. The court ruled they were right.
The court adjudged 10,000 euros to the family as compensation and 2,000 euros its the court costs.
This story is from the Czech News Agency (ČTK).