British Sikh couple will adopt again after winning landmark £120,000 battle against council who said they could not be given a child because only white ones were available
- Sandeep, 38, Reena Mander, 35, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, will adopt again
- Judge at Oxford county court ruled couple were ‘directly discriminated against’
- Couple reached out to a US agency to adopt their son who is now 18 months old
- Mr Mander said they are hoping to adopt a child in the UK when their son is two
Sandeep, 38, and Reena Mander, 35, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, outside Oxford county court after winning landmark case
A British Sikh couple plan to adopt again after winning a landmark case against the council who turned them away because only white children were available.
Sandeep, 38, and Reena Mander, 35, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, were awarded last week nearly £120,000 in damages after The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council rejected their adoption application because of their ‘Indian background’.
And the landmark ruling at Oxford county court has encouraged the family of three to adopt again.
‘We want more than one child,’ Mr Mander told The Times.
‘We will be applying to adopt again in the UK when our son is two. We hope it will be easier this time.’
The couple were left stunned when told they would not be considered as prospective parents because only white children were available in Berkshire and the surrounding area.
‘We had not even filled out application forms. They just put us into this cultural heritage box. That should not be the basis of a decision about whether to allow an adoption,’ Mrs Mander said.
Couple were left stunned when told they would not be considered as prospective parents because only white children were available in Berkshire and the surrounding area
Instead the pair turned to a US agency and after completing their profile a woman who was eight months pregnant chose the couple to adopt her white child.
Mr and Mrs Mander, both from Sikh families, were born and raised in the UK and had attended Catholic schools
The Manders, were present at the birth of their son, who is now 18 months, describe him as a ‘wonderful little boy’ who enjoys swimming lessons, according to The Times.
Judge Clarke awarded the couple general damages of £29,454.42 each and special damages totalling £60,013.43 for the cost of adopting a child overseas after ruling the couple had been racially discriminated against at the hands of their council.
After the ruling Mr and Mrs Mander said: ‘This decision ensures that no matter what race, religion or colour you are, you should be treated equally and assessed for adoption in the same way as any other prospective adopter.’
Judge Melissa Clarke said in her ruling: ‘I find that the defendants directly discriminated against Mr and Mrs Mander on the grounds of race.’
The couple, who were described as ‘high earners’ and earn a number of properties including their five bedroom home, had undergone seven unsuccessful IVF treatments before turning to Adopt Berkshire in 2016.
But the agency said it did not have any children of Indian or Pakistani origin and recommended they looked to adopt in India or Pakistan.
Mr and Mrs Mander, both from Sikh families, were born and raised in the UK and attended Catholic schools.
Mr Mander said: ‘We would have been happy to adopt children of any ethnic origin.’
The pair tried to reverse the agency’s decision through formal complaints and local government ombudsman and even secured the support of local MP, Theresa May, who was then home secretary.
Now, to keep their son’s US heritage embedded in family life, the couple celebrated Thanksgiving last month and will be heading to the States on Tuesday where they plan to visit annually.
But to protect their son’s birth mother they have chosen not to release further details of their child.