Cyber Group Anonymous Attacks Hospital In Child Custody Case
Cyber group ‘Anonymous’ attacks hospital in child custody case?
The courts have a duty to act in the best interests of a child that may be in the middle of a family law dispute. This means in child custody cases, the courts in New Jersey and any other state must decide a proper custody arrangement which will have the child’s safety and well-being in mind. However, not everybody will agree with the court’s decision. On the other hand, this does not mean one should take the law into one’s own hands, which is what seems to have happened in a recent case.
However, it was not the parties to the court case believed to have taken the law into their own hands; but the computer hacker group, Anonymous. The infamous hacker activist group seems to have taken interest in a child custody case in which the court ruled against the parents and granted full custody to the state government. The case revolves around a hospital visit for the child’s severe abdominal pains.
The parents claim that their child suffers from mitochondrial disorder, which causes issues with muscles, brain and abdominal areas. The physician attending the child said that the pain was psychological and accused the parents of trying to push unnecessary medical procedures for the child. The court’s opinion stated that the parents were not cooperative with their child’s medical providers and that they verbally abused the staff. The judge concluded that the parents were not fit to care for the child and granted custody of the child to the government, which prompted Anonymous to launch cyber attacks against the hospital.
Although the parents of the child do not condone the attacks from Anonymous, they are planning on appealing the judge’s ruling. However, just like any other child custody case in New Jersey or any other state, the parents need to have a full understanding of the applicable laws affecting their situation. This will give them the best chance of regaining custody of their child.
Source: The Boston Globe, “Justina Pelletier case: Hacker group Anonymous targets Children’s Hospital“, Michael B. Farrell, April 24, 2014
