Woman who has seen two children die told third must go into care

A woman who suffered the "unimaginable trauma" of seeing two children die when they were babies must have an 18-month-old daughter taken from her care and placed for adoption even though she has caused the youngster no harm, a family court judge has ruled.

Judge Alan Booth said the toddler's father had tried to suffocate her when she was four months old.

The judge said the man was "very dangerous" and concluded that the girl's mother could not protect her against the risk he posed.

Judge Booth said he was "desperately sad" to deprive the woman of the chance to be a mother.

But he said he could not be sure that the little girl would be safe.

Judge Booth has made the ruling following a private family court hearing in Blackburn, Lancashire.

He said the family involved could not be named.

The case made headlines in November after the judge made rulings about how the little girl had been injured when a baby.

Judge Booth had heard how the couple's two oldest children had died a few years ago when babies and was told that the little girl had last year suffered separate "acute life-threatening" episodes.

The judge concluded that the man, who is in his twenties, twice tried to suffocate her in a "warped" bid to mend his relationship with her mother.

Evidence suggested that the deaths of the other children had drawn them closer.

He said the man was "very dangerous".

The woman had said she wanted "nothing more to do" with the man.

But Judge Booth said she was "vulnerable" - and he feared that the man would wheedle his way back into her life and put the toddler at risk.