ISIS bride Shamima Begum ‘could have her unborn child taken into care as soon as it’s born if she returns to UK’
A top family barrister has said that the jihadi bride's baby would 'probably be placed in foster care' due to her involvement in the murderous cult
PREGNANT ISIS bride Shamima Begum could have her baby taken into care as soon as it is born, a barrister has warned today.
The 19-year-old fled to Syria when she was 15 but now she plans on returning home to the UK to give birth to her third child.
The barrister, who specialises in family law, warned today that Begum could face a lengthy court battle to keep the baby.
Not wanting to be named, she said: "An expedited pre-birth assessment by whichever local authority's area she arrives in will be the first move, followed after the birth by something like an Interim Care Order which would be granted if a judge considered there were reasonable grounds to believe child is likely to suffer significant harm.
"And the child would probably be removed at birth and placed into foster care.
There must be reasonable grounds to believe child is likely to suffer significant harm
Family barrister
"If it was agreed they could stay together they could go to a mother and baby unit although there are not many of those left these days.
"There is an option to let her family step in but unless family members were deemed protective and capable of safeguarding that would seem unlikely in these circumstances.
"Given the mother's history and involvement with ISIS, there must be reasonable grounds to believe child is likely to suffer significant harm - that is the threshold that must be met for an interim order."
The fomer Bethnal Green high school student left to become a jihadi bride with two pals in 2015 but was recently discovered by a Times journalist in a refugee camp.
Begum, who has called herself 'weak' for wanting to return to the UK had previously given birth to two children who died from malnutrition.
NO REGRETS
She told the journalist that she didn't regret joining the murderous cult but is now desperate to return home and have her baby with the support of the NHS.
A poll taken by talkRADIO revealed that 99 percent of 70,000 listeners don't think she should be allowed back to the UK.
However, for the family it is a different story.
Her elder sister Renu she was desperate for the teen to come home.
She pleaded: "She's pregnant and vulnerable, and it’s important we get her out of al-Hawl camp and home as soon as possible.
"We hope the British Government will help us bring her home to us where she belongs.";
The teen's family has previously admitted they understood she would not be welcome.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr Rehman told : “As a family we can't understand how her head was turned like this and why she thought going to Syria was a good idea.
She's pregnant and vulnerable
Begum's older sister
“I can understand why people in this country are angry and don't want her back.
"What she's done doesn't portray Islam in a good light.”
While her family pleas for "compassion" the teen shows no sign of repentance.
During interviews she even called herself “weak” for leaving ISIS and praised those who stayed to fight with the death cult.
Meanwhile critics are furious at the thought of her picking up her life at home in Bethnal Green, East London.
Security minister Ben Wallace said British lives will not be risked trying to rescue the jihadi bride.
He added that if she does make it back to the UK she will face prosecution “at the very least”.
Mr Wallace said today: “She's a British citizen, she has rights. That's the reality of it. It's not about me or anyone else saying you can't come.
“You have rights. But you know, don't be surprised by what reception you get when you come back when it comes to investigations and law enforcement.”
I'm scared this baby is going to get sick in this camp
Shamima Begum
Ex UKIP leader turned LBC radio host Nigel Farage was also among those calling for the government to stop Begum returning to Britain.
He fumed: “This woman shows no remorse for her actions, remains a committed jihadist and is totally unsuitable to come into our country.”
Begum made the plea to return to the UK after telling reporters she could give birth “any day now”.
Her pregnancy comes after her first two children died of starvation and illness, with Begum hoping the baby can have a decent life with her in the UK.
Speaking to a who tracked her down she said: "I'm scared this baby is going to get sick in this camp.
"That's why I really want to get back to Britain.
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"Because I know it will be taken care of, healthwise at least."
And she calmly revealed that the first time she saw a severed head “didn’t faze me at all”.
Her husband, Dutch Islamist fighter Yago Riedijk, 27, was in regular contact with seven men feared to have targeted a rock festival in the city of Arnhem.
She now believes she is a widow.
