"I don't agree that a parent who slaps her child without raising a bruse should go to jail."

I totally agree, Larry.

"I will not accept that Traveller children should be out adopted"

Since this hasn't happened yet, why insist that it will? The child is in temporary custody in a place that CPS was certain was safe for her. If acceptable caretakers can be found among her family (*IF* Ms. Toogood loses custody, which also hasn't happened yet), then of course that should be the first consideration. And it will be, unless CPS in that neck of woods acts entirely differently from everywhere else.

I've yet to see a single item of evidence which points to prejudice among the people actually handling the case. I have seen a lot of half-truths and mischaracterizations of events in this thread, like the purse episode. And the more half-truths I see, the less it is possible to take any of the claims of bias -- in this case -- seriously.

How can we scream prejudice over events that haven't happened yet? There's a difference between being vigilant -- which is probably called for since prejudice can always be a factor -- and assuming it WILL happen and complaining ahead of time. Why then the repeated accusations that those who do not think that prejudice is the determining factor in this case are either racist or blind? You are unlikely to find allies by slinging stones at the people most likely to be persuaded -- i.e. those that bother to think about and discuss the issue.