By Hilary White
EDINBURGH, March 12, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The government of Scotland plans to allow homosexual partners to foster children, but will not make public a report on the practise of allowing them to adopt children. Homosexual adoption was legalised in 2006.
The Christian Institute reports that although Scottish ministers launched an investigation last month into the results of the homosexual adoption law, the government will not release the report, saying it is only intended for use “in house.”
The Christian Institute’s Mike Judge said, “We all deserve to know the outcome and the fact it is not being published will raise concern that ministers know their findings may alarm the public.”
Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the Catholic archbishop of Edinburgh, has issued a statement asking ministers not to extend fostering to homosexuals, but instead to encourage couples in natural marriages to foster children. The government’s proposal to extend the right to foster to same-sex partners is “as misguided and inappropriate as the previous change to allow same sex adoption” he said. The cardinal’s statement cited a government consultation in 2006 that found that 80 percent of respondents were opposed to the change.
“I urge the Scottish Government not to jeopardise the welfare of children who need foster care in a similar way,” Cardinal O’Brien said.
The bias of British officials in favor of homosexuals in adoption and fostering was revealed in 2007 after two homosexual men were sentenced to five years in prison for sexually abusing the boys placed in their care. After Ian Wathey, 41, and Craig Faunch, 32, were convicted of sexually molesting 4 foster boys, the council officials who had placed the boys admitted that there had been reservations, but the two men were regarded as “trophy carers” because of their status as homosexuals.
An independent panel was told by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council officials that “the fear of being discriminatory” led them to “fail to discriminate between the appropriate and the abusive.” In a period of several years Wathey and Faunch took in a total of 19 boys.
At the same time, however, a series of media reports have revealed that local council authorities in Britain are refusing to allow Christians to adopt or foster needy children, because of their traditional views on moral matters.
Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Gay Foster Parents Who Sexually Abused Boys Get Only 5 Years in Jail
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jun/06062608.html
Investigative Panel: “Gay” Status Helped Couple Get Away with Sexually Abusing Foster Children
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/sep/07090607.html
UK Christian Couple who Refuse to Promote Homosexuality Forced out of Child Foster Care
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/oct/07102502.html
Another UK Couple Rejected for Fostering Children over Religious Beliefs on Homosexuality
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/feb/08022705.html
Homosexual Men Given Custody of Children Rather than Own Grandparents
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jan/09012808.html