A (A Child) (Mother killed by Father), Re

A (A Child) (Mother killed by Father), Re

The welfare of A is best served by granting special guardianship to Ms Westcarr, revoking Mr Tape's parental responsibility, changing A's surname to remove Tape and include Kennedi, restricting paternal grandparents to indirect contact, and imposing section 91(14) orders to protect A and Ms Westcarr from unfiltered future applications. Transparency order is justified given public interest and existing reporting.

Parties
Applicant: Linda Westcarr; First Respondent: Gogoa Lois Tape; Second Respondent: A (by her children’s guardian); Third Respondent: The Paternal Grandmother; Fourth Respondent: The Paternal Grandfather; Interested Party: The London Borough of Haringey
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
11 May 2025
Procedural Posture
Children Act Proceedings / Final Hearing
Outcome
Special guardianship order granted to Ms Westcarr; parental responsibility of Mr Tape revoked; A's surname changed to remove Tape and include Kennedi; indirect contact only with paternal grandparents; section 91(14) orders imposed for Mr Tape (until A's 18th birthday) and paternal grandparents (until A's 12th...
Legal Topics
Special Guardianship, Parental Responsibility, Change of Name, Child Arrangements, Section 91(14) Orders, Transparency Orders
Family Law Child Protection Special Guardianship Parental Responsibility Change of Name Child Arrangements Section 91(14) Orders Transparency Orders

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Parties

Linda Westcarr

Applicant

Gogoa Lois Tape

First Respondent

A (by her children’s guardian)

Second Respondent

The Paternal Grandmother

Third Respondent

The Paternal Grandfather

Fourth Respondent

The London Borough of Haringey

Interested Party

Procedural Posture

Children Act Proceedings / Final Hearing

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Should a special guardianship order be made in favour of the applicant maternal grandmother?
  2. 2 Should the respondent father’s parental responsibility be revoked?
  3. 3 Should there be a change to the child’s name?

Ratio Decidendi

The welfare of A is best served by granting special guardianship to Ms Westcarr, revoking Mr Tape's parental responsibility, changing A's surname to remove Tape and include Kennedi, restricting paternal grandparents to indirect contact, and imposing section 91(14) orders to protect A and Ms Westcarr from unfiltered future applications. Transparency order is justified given public interest and existing reporting.

Court Disposition

Special guardianship order granted to Ms Westcarr; parental responsibility of Mr Tape revoked; A's surname changed to remove Tape and include Kennedi; indirect contact only with paternal grandparents; section 91(14) orders imposed for Mr Tape (until A's 18th birthday) and paternal grandparents (until A's 12th...

Orders

  • Special guardianship order in favour of Ms Westcarr
  • Revocation of parental responsibility of Mr Tape