Fathers Scaling Buildings to See Their Kids

LONDON, June 11, 2008 — -- What would you do if a "superhero" climbed onto the roof of your house to fight injustice?

Harriet Harman, the London-based secretary of state for equalities, minister for women, abandoned her home.

"We are going to move out and stay somewhere else," she said. "I don't think it's fair for police resources to be tied up outside my house by this demonstration."

Behind her, hanging from the roof of her house, a giant banner with the tag "superdads" read, "A father is for life not just for conception."

Mark Harris and Jolly Stanesby are actually fathers' rights activists. But fitted Sunday with superhero costumes, they climbed onto the roof of Harman's house and rolled out the banner.

They refused to come down for 24 hours, until Harman read Harris' book "Family Court Hell," in which he describes his 10-year battle for access to his daughters after the break-up of his marriage.

Now the police have let them out on bail until July 16, pending further inquiries.

The two belong to the group Fathers for Justice and are not its first members to be arrested or fined for staging high-profile demonstrations.

The aim of the group is to draw attention to the plight of fathers who find it hard to see their children in cases of a divorce or separation, as the mother is usually given priority by law.

"Fathers are considered just as cash points," Matt O'Connor, founder of the group, told ABC News. He complained that the government is refusing to discuss the issue and argues that these demonstrations are the only way for fathers to claim their rights.

During their protest, Harris and Stanesby claimed that Harman refused to see them when they demanded a meeting with her.

The minister denied that any meeting was requested and said they could have attended her regular Friday constituency meeting.

The group has became famous for its many attempts to attract public attention. Members have hurled condoms filled with flour at former Prime Minister Tony Blair in Parliament . They have also climbed many buildings, dressed as Father Christmas, prison inmates and superheroes. Batman once scaled Buckingham Palace and Spiderman the London Eye.

But, according to David Allison, a lawyer from the company Family Law in Partnership, British law is neutral.

It states that the mother always has parental responsibility for her child. The father is allowed to share the responsibility if he is married to the woman.

Outside marriage, a man will have to register the birth of the child, but the mother can always stop him if she wishes. But in cases of disagreement, the judge has the last word.

In an interview with ABC News, lawyer Allison said that although the law appears gender-neutral, the court tends to decide in the mother's favor: "I have some sympathy for them [Fathers for Justice]. It is true that women stand in a better position in court, as they are more likely to be the ones who have been taking care of the children."

Mike Kelly, a former member of Fathers for Justice, is now a top figure in the secessionist group Real Fathers for Justice.

Kelly says the problem is not the law but the gap between what it states and how it is enforced. "I wasn't able to see my kids for three years," he told ABC.

After the separation from his partner, Kelly said, the court ruled he was an excellent father and that he could see his kids. Despite the court order, however, his ex-partner wouldn't let him visit them. She would simply not open the house door, nor would she show up to bring him the children after a meeting was arranged.

The big problem is that "it's hard to enforce court orders," Allison said

He said that, in theory, the court could only respond with radical solutions, like putting the mothers in jail or fining them, a decision that, in both cases, would affect the child's well-being. In the most serious cases judges can issue an order that the children's residence be shifted. But they usually prefer to maintain the status quo for the child's sake.

Kelly, of Real Fathers for Justice, argues that this situation doesn't help children. "I know they missed me," he said, discussing his separation from his kids. "They told the teacher I was Batman and could see me on the roof."

The problem is not only a private matter but also raises social questions.

O'Connor, of Fathers for Justice, points out that "Fatherless families have serious social consequences." In his view, growing up with only one parent could increase teenage violence. "We just want the same [rights] as mothers," he said.

Notwithstanding their intentions, Fathers for Justice has attracted criticism from some for their actions.

Tony Coe, president of the Equal Parenting Council, made a point shared by many when he said, "we don't think that this kind of unlawful action helps, in fact it alienates the very people that we are trying to persuade."

But Fathers for Justice has no plans to give up. If seeing their kids means going around dressed as superheroes and getting arrested, they are ready to do it.

The superhero costumes help push their ideas forward. "We want to be iconic and ironic." O'Connor said. "Superman is a global icon but we also make people smile."

But it is also a way to be recognized by their kids. As Kelly put it, "every child thinks their mum and dads are superheroes."