31 year old Terry Achane, a South Carolina man has won a long legal battle to gain back custody of his 21-month-old daughter after his wife placed her with an adoptive couple without telling him.
Just days after Achane left to go on duty in Fort Jackson, his ex-wife gave birth to a premature baby and signed over the rights to an adoption agency.
The couple that adopted the baby said that they knew they weren't done having kids and was told by the adoption agency that the father might fight for custody if he found out about his daughter, but they continued on with the adoption anyways.
"Despite a judge’s order to return the child within 60 days, the family now asks that his parental rights granting him custody of her be terminated. They accuse him of abandoning both the mother and baby during her pregnancy and therefore demonstrating no capability for raising the girl.
He added that there is no law requiring the father to ‘prove himself’ as fit to father his own child. ‘Once Achane contacted the Adoption Center of Choice … to let them know he opposed the adoption and wanted his daughter back, that should have been the end of this case,’ said Mr. McDade. Not going down without a fight, the Freis vow to appeal the judge’s decision, asking friends and family to support their case financially through their blog.
They note having paid for ‘two already expensive adoptions (each costing around $25,000),’ with a continuing fight only requiring more money. Their online petition has since raised more than $20,000.
A hearing has been set for January 16 of next year on the child’s transition back to her father." (via saltlake tribune)
