A US court has ruled that 3-year-old Cherokee girl, Veronica, is to be put back in the custody of her adoptive parents after being forcibly put into the care of her biological father.

Matt and Melanie Capobianco have been trying to adopt Veronica since she was born. They raised her for two years until she was forced to move back with her biological father, Dusten Brown, in 2011.

The Capobiancos brought the matter to the Supreme Court, who then decided that the state should choose where young Veronica goes. South Carolina eventually decided to go through the adoption and hand Veronica off to the Capobiancos.

Veronica is living with Mr. Brown's wife and mother while he is away for a month in the National Guard. Because of this, Mr. Brown did not show up with the girl to help refamiliarize her with the Capobiancos.

"Veronica is being unlawfully withheld from her lawful parents," Judge Daniel Martin said, while Cherokee Nation Assistant Attorney General Chrissi Nimmo called it "physically and legally impossible for Dusten to comply with the current order".

The Capobiancos say they can sympathize with the Browns and are sorry that all of this is happening, for they once had to say farewell to young Veronica as well. They know how painful it is and they wish this could all be over soon.

Dusten is currently still pursuing custody of Veronica while several American Indian groups are also pursuing a federal civil rights case, saying a hearing should be held to determine what is Veronica’s best interest: to be sent to South Carolina, or stay with her biological father.

What do you think? Where should Veronica go?

Link:
http://news.sky.com/story/1126181/cherokee-girl-must-return-to-adoptive-parents

All that just has to be great for a 3 year old's mindstate!

Not traumatic at all.

>>3 Exactly. I don't know who she should go with. The Capobiancos have raised her since birth... But why? They don't say. They don't provide any reason as to why she can't just be with her biological father aside from the fact that some group who decides the placement of Cherokee children said that she couldn't. I don't see anything wrong with him having her, aside possibly from the fact that he was away in the National Guard for a month. But it's not like she's homeless or living alone during that time. She's living with his wife and mother, who seem to be treating her just fine. So unless there is some reason given as to why she can't be with her father, then I say she never should have been moved.

I can't really formulate an opinion about which would be better for her without first knowing why she was being raised by the other family in the first place. I'm going to lean towards her biological father because he seems willing and able to care for her. I know the other family, the Capobiancos, did have her for two years and I'm sure they cared for her well during that time, but unless there are extenuating circumstances (abuse, neglect, etc.) I think that preference should be given to the biological parents.

>>5 I completely agree. The only problem is that, no matter what article I've checked, it doesn't give an actual reason. Which is why I am leaning towards the biological father as well. :/

well if it did go back to the father... than im going to assume there was some accusations made that made the state believe he wasnt in a proper living situation either with him or the mom, but then after investigation it wasnt so. That's just my assumption... really would help to have more information.

this whole situation is really weird..

>>7>>5 Aha! I think I FINALLY found it.

http://mobile.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/06/baby_veronica_indian_adoption_case_the_supreme_court_got_it_wrong.html

>>9 Okay, what I get from this: Veronica's parents weren't married and her dad said he would give up his rights to let her stay with her mom. Her mom then proceeded to put her up for adoption. Her dad said if her mother wasn't going to raise her, he wanted to, but she was still placed with the Capobiancos. Brown managed to get custody, but the adoptive family fought to get her back and eventually won in the Supreme Court.

My opinion: Since her dad has been fighting this since the day she was put up for adoption and seems to be a perfectly fine candidate for a father, I think he should get custody.

from what i read, his ... reasoning in court as to why he should get the kid n not them was wrong/didnt apply to the current situation. So really losing his kid again was his own fault

I believe that the father should get the child. It was not his fault, he was not aware that the mother planned to put his daughter up for adoption before he relinquished his parental rights. He didn't want to have her before, but he didn't want to put her up for adoption and have her live with some strangers. I don't think that it makes complete sense in that aspect, but I believe that he should still have gotten custody considering he is her biological father (her only biological parent left), he never agreed to putting her up for adoption, and he is perfectly capable of taking care of the child.

did you just bump off my opinion on purpose

>>15 What? Oh, no, I'm sorry, mate. My computer was being glitchy and my keys stuck. It kept deleting my posts. I apologize, that was not my intent.