Child reunited with father after mother hospitalised for mental illness

Thiruvananthapuram: A young child, who became isolated when his mother was hospitalised for mental illness, has been reunited with his father following intervention by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). The boy, who has just started schooling, will now be under his father’s care.

The mother, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, had been caring for her son despite battling severe mental health issues. She had legally separated from her husband by the time their child turned three. The father, originally from Thiruvalla, is currently working in Madhya Pradesh.

The mother had earlier travelled to Delhi twice under the pretext of filing a case in the Supreme Court and stayed at Kerala House. As the duration of her stay at Kerala House extended over three months last time, officials alerted the CWC about the situation. CWC Chairperson Shaniba Beegum intervened, bringing the mother and child back to Thiruvananthapuram on May 6.

With the mother needing hospitalisation, the child was placed in Class 1 at a school under the care of the CWC. Yesterday, the boy was handed over to his father’s care in Thiruvalla, with the consent of his mother’s relatives. The transfer was initiated with a condition that the father must allow the child to meet his mother whenever she wishes.