'You're not intelligent enough to marry', bride told
By
Alison Smith Squire
Last updated at 10:19 PM on 11th September 2009
Social workers banned a young woman from her own wedding in an extraordinary row over whether she is bright enough to get married.
Kerry Robertson, who has mild learning difficulties, was told her wedding was being halted just 48 hours before she was to walk up the aisle with fiance Mark McDougall.
Miss Robertson, 17, had bought her wedding dress and the couple had booked the church ceremony, bought the rings and organised a reception to be held last Saturday.
Kerry Robertson (right), who is five months pregnant, was told she could not marry fiance Mark McDougall (left) 48 hours before their wedding
But two days before they were due to say their vows in front of 20 guests, social services told the bride-to-be that she would have to cancel the big day because she 'did not understand the implications of getting married'.
Yesterday, Miss Robertson, who is five months pregnant, said the decision was cruel.
She said: 'I am still so upset about everything. I know what marriage is. It is when two folks want to spend the rest of their lives together. I love Mark and I want to get married to him.'
Miss Robertson, of Dunfermline, Fife, has been in the care of her grandmother since she was nine months old after her parents were unable to look after her, with her welfare overseen by social workers at Fife council.
In January this year, she met Mr McDougall, a 25-year-old artist from Arbroath. When Miss Robertson became pregnant, they began making wedding plans.
Mr McDougall said their nightmare began last Thursday when two social workers arrived at the flat they have shared for the past four months.
He said: 'We were about to go out and make final arrangements for our wedding when we heard a frantic rapping at the door.
'When we opened it, two social workers burst in and told us that the marriage was illegal because Kerry has learning difficulties and did not possess the capacity to make such a decision.
'Kerry burst into tears. 'But despite arguing with the social workers that we loved one another and didn't want our baby to be born to unmarried parents, they wouldn't budge.'
Under Scottish law, a registrar may refuse to marry a couple if he believes one or both the parties lack the mental capacity to understand what the institution of marriage is about.
In a highly unusual step, the registrar at Dunfermline Register Office refused to sanction the marriage after Fife council wrote a letter of objection.
Mr McDougall claims Miss Robertson's learning difficulties are not severe. 'It's true she is not very academic,' he said. 'But she is nowhere near as stupid as social services are making out.
'She is a loving caring person. She can also read and write, although not very well, and was going to college to catch up.
'I didn't even know she had learning difficulties until we'd been dating for two months.
'At that time, social services said they were pleased we were together and seemed supportive.
'For the first time in her life Kerry was truly happy so we cannot understand what all the fuss is about.'
The couple are concerned that their unborn baby, a boy they have already named Ben, could be taken away if Fife council judges Miss Robertson unable to care for him.
She now faces a psychologist's assessment to determine if she is too unintelligent to get married.
Mr McDougall said: 'We are both going to fight this all the way. We feel the fact we want to get married should be encouraged, not forbidden.'
Helen Townsend of Fife council said: 'We cannot discuss details of individual cases for reasons of confidentiality.'
'You're not intelligent enough to marry', bride told | Mail Online
So yeah, she's stupid for getting pregnant at 17 and wanting to get married, but the guy is sticking around and they want to do "the right thing" by their child by getting married and providing a home to raise him in. TBH, her learning difficulties don't sound that bad at all, and I can't help but wonder if SS are doing this as they are planning to take the baby at birth and a single mother is easier to take a child from than a married couple, as the father has fewer rights (if any) if he has not married the mother. Wouldn't it have made more sense to provide support for them to try and ensure that the family unit could be preserved rather than pulling on their jackboots and stamping all over them?
Pregnant teen banned from marrying as she's "not intelligent enough"
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