"Fathers for Justice" is coming to an end
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Pressure group and fathers rights campaigners Fathers for Justice are to suspend their operations. The campaign leader Matt O'Connor has said last night that the group were looking into claims by the Sun newspaper that members of the group had been planning to abduct the 5 year old son of Tony Blair.
However, O'Connor told channel 4 television that the group could no longer continue after the negative publicity that this accusation will cause.
The group have been recently famed for their headline grabbing stunts including; throwing flour in the House of Commons at the Prime Minister and the trespassing incident at Buckingham Palace. These actions have stirred up public support for their campaign.
O'Connor said 'After peacefully campaigning for three years to ensure children get to see their fathers, we condemn any individual who planned this appalling outrage which is anathema to our campaign.' O'Connor then added 'I have three young boys myself and couldn't think of anything more traumatic for Mr Blair, his family and his son than what is reported in this morning's Sun newspaper, however we should approach the story with caution as it carries very little information in it.'
A Downing Street spokesperson has said that there will be no official response.
Mr O'Connor has now publicly stated that he wants to distance himself from the group. 'I don't want to be associated with an organisation getting headlines like this'.
Fathers for Justice had been working towards removing the radical elements of its membership with an expulsion of 30 of its most extreme members.
The Police have claimed that they were aware of the plan but knew it to have not got past the talking stage.
This event has left the group in turmoil; they now appear to have no leader and their future is uncertain.
Source
- "Fathers 4 Justice to end campaign" — BBC News Online, January 18, 2006