A couple implanted tracking devices into their children’s toys without consent, aiming to monitor their whereabouts while in foster care, a Family Court judge revealed. The parents, leading a transient lifestyle, had three young children and another on the way at the time. The children, under school age, were placed in foster care as part of ongoing care proceedings.
The foster carers discovered a small tracking device hidden in a bag given to one of the children, which was linked to the mother’s phone. Further investigation uncovered two additional devices sewn into toys given to the children weeks earlier.
Despite initially denying any knowledge of the devices and blaming the local authority, the mother later took responsibility for the plan to track the children, although the judge believed the father was also complicit. The mother claimed she wanted to ensure the children’s safety due to concerns about bruises they had allegedly sustained during visits.
The judge dismissed the parents’ explanations, stating that the use of tracking devices was a joint decision and likely instigated by the father. He concluded that the parents attempted to hide the truth by refusing to provide their phones for examination in relation to the tracking devices.
In light of these findings, the judge advised the parents to reflect on the consequences of their actions and consider how to address the harm caused to their case regarding the care of their children.