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I would like to us all the English that argue that this lady should not get help for being French, why so many English where so keen to colonise foreign lands where obviously the native were not inviting then? Perhaps all the white Australians and New Zelanders, Canadian, United States citizen of English origin should be returning to the UK because the natives didn't invite them to invade their land and they were living quite happily without the English colonising their homelands. When you achive that all the English origin people leave the lands colonised by their ancestors, then you can tell the "foreigners" to leave, simple! we are here because your ancestors were there.

- Maria, London W12, 01/02/2010 20:57
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I am shocked and disturbed at the ignorance, and lack of compassion in several of these comments.

For the record - hostels such as those run by Samaritans are in such high demand, they generally have very high waiting lists. You are also only able to access them if you are claiming benefits, which it is unknown if this lady was or not.

Secondly, if you present as homeless at the council and claim you are pregnant, you are made to prove this with either maternity notes (and correspindig ID) or by taking a pregnancy test onsite, so this cannot be faked.

Thirdly, yes unfortunately some women (and men) do claim domestic violence is occuring when its not, but this aside, for the thousands and thousands of genuine cases, it still needs to be taken seriously (and to refer to it as a 'tiff' between a married couple is disgusting, offensive and ignorant). Sadly, even if this had been reported to the police (which as the lady was refered to the council from the police, it would appear it had been) if there are no witnesses, which there rarely are on such occasions, then the police are neither obligated nor able to do anything else. And at 8 months pregnant, and in fear for your own safety, you can surely forgive someone for not thinking 100% clearly.

As for the lady's nationality, if anyone can honestly say where someone was born can justify them having to sleep on the streets because of fear of violence, i'm seriously concerned about their morals.

- Concerned, Manchester, Manchester, England, 01/02/2010 14:09
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There is no excuse for a heavily pregnant woman to be left to sleep on a park bench in a supposed civilised society. This is a shameful and disturbing story.

- Loub, New Zealand, 29/01/2010 08:21
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No one knows if the husband was French or English, so saying 'two violent foreigners' is supposition. As someone who has lived all over the EU I can assure you that it's a two way street as far as needing and getting help. I've had free surgery in Sweden, excellent free emergency care in Spain and help from the police when I had a bag stolen from police. There are British ex-pats all over the world. Should they all 'just go home' if something goes wrong and they need help locally? Some of you people frighten me.

- Judy, London, 28/01/2010 10:32
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"Not nice being homeless but she did not have to move out she could have made her husband leave-changed the locks.
- Louise, South Norwood, SE London"

That's actually illegal, unless there is a Court Order. Husband and wife are both entitled to live in the marital home, whoever is the owner or the tenant.

I never cease to be amazed at some people's ability to comment on cases they know nothing about. HPUs everywhere send away alleged violence victims who have not been to the Police or won't take legal action against the violent partner.

In the case of someone who is lawfully in the UK and 8 months pregnant, I would have thought a hostel for a few days to sort those actions out would be normal.

- Alan Griffiths, Forest Gate, LONDON, 28/01/2010 00:10
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She had many options and choose to sleep in the park. The UK is so weak on issues like this. If she felt that she was being treated so badly why did she not go back to her family in France in the begining and stay there.

£750 and housing child benefit and all the other goodies - she has done so well and the headline will act as the best advert to open up the shop to everyone else who wants to have a go. This really is abuse of the system, and the vulnerable tax payer, which we always allow. In fact we pay people to complain about rubbish, then offer them soical housing in order to shut them up. That is why they all want to come here to sponge. We need to get clued up fast and make changes to protect the average hard working individual.

- Fed Up, mitcham, 27/01/2010 23:40
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Everybody seems to have glossed over the fact that a pregnant woman went to the Police and made a complaint of domestic abuse and they referred her to the council. Is that not a criminal offence anymore? If though there was no evidence of violence then she is entitled to book a hotel room like the rest of us.

- Mark, London, 27/01/2010 23:14
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This is for Louise
if you are 8 months pregnant and being beaten up by your husband. Will you have the energy and time to challenge your husband and will have the time to call locksmith to change your front door lock!!!! OR just think about the safety of your unborn child (and yourself of course) and run far away from that evil husband.
For every Brits abroad, do they usually come back here in UK when things went wrong. Hhhmmmmm I don't
think so. Anyway, lessons must be learnt from this case and hopefully the system will improve for servise user.

- Marie Lou, London w6, England, 27/01/2010 21:43
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Why should a Frenchwoman come to the UK, have a tiff with her 'partner' and expect to be re-housed at the Uk taxpayers expense?

No wonder they're queuing up at Calais!!!!

- Richard, London, 27/01/2010 21:13
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"learn from the history and the mistakes "Quite right, which is why i could never again vote Labour.- St, London and if you were older and could remember Thatcher's time you would never Vote Tory again either.

- Fred, London, 27/01/2010 21:01
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Unfortunately, Housing Officers are probably very weary about this kind of case despite their statutory obligations, simply because of the amount of bogus claims they get. A domestic violence/homeless application guarantees the applicant zooms up the list as a priority. In some areas, this is the only route to securing social housing.

Remember that the wife of Abu Hamza, the jailed Islamic cleric, got rehoused by the council after alleging domestic violence and then went on to have further children with him when he bought their original property under Right to Buy, made more than £100,000 selling it, then bought his a property to rent out.

Or the Nigerian lady who bought a baby in order to qualify for a council house..

So its a shame that this lady was neglected because of the failure of Housing Officers to follow the correct process but that they are probably quite a cynical bunch because of the abuses they've seen of the homelessness process.

- Jowo, London, 27/01/2010 20:20
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What an astonishing level of ignorance displayed here. French nationals, like all EU citizens, have the right to live and work in the UK. UK citizens enjoy the same rights in all other EU nations. Would all of those wanting to 'send her back' also be willing to welcome back to 1,000,000 Brits now living in Spain and France should they adopt the same attitude. Also.. if you're ill or have an accident in France you will get treated no questions asked. From my experience you'd be better off in France too.. they have a health service that puts ours to shame.

- Tobe, London, UK, 27/01/2010 19:45
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What good are councils except to make us pay over the odds? Council tax has been a back-breaker especially to us groaning under inflation, recession, overcharged for energy bills, etc. Councils need to rejoin the real world by all public-sector managers, "heads of service" renegotiating their jobs and perks. Put all management on short term contracts with a top rate of £80K per year, same for doctors, dentists, all civil servants. Go back to 1990 staffing numbers. Government spending would fall, more left for services for resident taxpayers.

- Rita, London, 27/01/2010 19:01
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In britain people have become accustomed to "nanny" state support. This does not apply throughout europe. Without appropriate documents and proof that you can pay you can find french medical care hard to find.Free services do exist but you have to find them.If you have no proof that you have lost your job through no fault of your own you can have a minimum of a three month's wait before aid and even then not guaranteed. If you have no home then you can go on the list. Why do you think Calais has an enormous waiting list for those wanting to cross to the UK?

- Terry, Hennebont France, 27/01/2010 18:35
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This story just doesnt ring true to me, surely the husband is more at fault here not the council, why should tax payers pay through the nose for irresponsible violent foreigners? what if every e.u citizen was abusive to their spouse she we pay for all of them ? Good on you fulham council, no prices for guessing who im voting for this time!

- Kevin`, london,uk, 27/01/2010 18:20
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'it' did not let this lady down
he/she/they did- name and shame those responsible
and hang them out to dry.

- Ben Collie, Chislehurst-Kent-uk, 27/01/2010 17:59
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to counter the typical Conservative bashing from the Labour liberal submissionist deniers..

Dead Man walking party. How to destroy the UK - every time, referee... Let socialist principles in, drain the public purse, then have a responsible Political party attempt to rebuild from a shattered society where no one is happy - clearly, not even submissionist liberal strident whining Labour voters, who genetically will never be happy.

I hope this sends a message that Britain is finally getting a spine again - and hopefully we will begin the process of kicking out those who have no right to be here. In this instance, perhaps there was genuine need, not picked up by process error. In others, time we DID look to France. Submissionism IS why they come here. Bans on veils next please. Time for a bit of toughness.. And Labour submissionists? STFU please. You had more than enough of your say and time to fix things - and you made everything worse.

- Alex, London, 27/01/2010 16:52
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There is another side to stories like this. Some 20 years ago I knew a foreign National who was homeless and by fraud was admitted to a womens' refuge and rehoused by the Council. She had no children was not pregnant and bore no signs of violence. A few years later she exercised her right to buy, sold the flat at the top of the market and returned to her country of origin. Perhaps the Councils are getting wise even if some genuine cases get missed.

- Bj, East London, 27/01/2010 16:46
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This is a direct result of a policy changed introduced by the Conservative run authority.

The first indications of a less than compassionate approach towards the homeless occurred in 2007 when the Conservative Cabinet Member for Crime described the homeless as a “law and order issue” and banned the BBC and Crisis from running a Christmas shelter. They then cut funding to local homeless charities and actually sold off twelve homeless hostels. They then also began to sell off many empty Council homes instead of re-letting them to people on the waiting list and did all of this while tightening the homeless acceptance criteria.

The latest figures show that H&F Council now only agrees to provide shelter for around half the numbers of homeless people it had accepted under Labour back in 2006. Sharp practices, such as those used on this unfortunate woman, are now common place in Hammersmith and Fulham.

- Cllr. Stephen Cowan, London, UK, 27/01/2010 16:27
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"learn from the history and the mistakes"
Quite right, which is why i could never again vote Labour.

- St, London, 27/01/2010 16:12
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Was she a genuine case? There are so many women who go the council demanding houisng for being pregant when it already has long waiting lists. I agree with some of the other comments, she should have gone back to France and got help there. We need to help are own first, the British are far too soft. If she had lived in the Uk any length of time she would have heard about the salvation army or the samaritians.... Did she report her husband? If she did than the police would have looked into it.Not nice being homeless but she did not have to move out she could have made her husband leave-changed the locks.

- Louise, South Norwood, SE London, 27/01/2010 16:08
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This is just a sign of the preleminary law enforcement of the TORY party;s! And more to come if we elected these power hungry, mindless,and heartless false propaganda driven party in the next general election. They don't care human value and social morality. Only care about power and gabbing money. This innocent woment must have shown little bit of mercy and care from least who has heart.
As a matter of fact now medias are focus and money making on the Musilm extremism news broadcast and publishing. It is indeed cover up and the turn away general public attention and demand for the justice for dragging our boys to the illegal wars. And very racist minded wrongful ,unjust foriegn policies. It's a great masterminded plan of the one time so called GOD KILLERS and Conspirators of the history. Turn the history books. And Find the truth. Our British tradition of peace, tolerant and social high moralities are diminishing in the face of the earth by these conspirators and self-fish leaders who runs our country.
Women are used for advertisements!! No respect to the elders and parents are ignored and when they are get older ridiculed as old man.Children are shown with hollywood movie and playstation of the violent behaviour and neglected to grow up with less or no social and moral values. Think about it . our future and our childrens who are tomorrows leaders. search and find the truth. learn from the history and the mistakes. God Bless Great Britain

- Munaffer, London, 27/01/2010 15:24
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Tom, if you really think that a Briton would have the same rights as a French person in France you are very much mistaken. In the UK we provide interpreters for people who can't speak English just so that they can milk the system more easily...can't see them doing that in France. NHS in UK provides care for all...think you'll find that the French system is not quite so accommodating. She was a French national and therefore should have made her way to her home country for support regardless of who she was married to. If I found myself in the same situation in France I would contact my family in the UK and ask for their help, not expect the French Government to care for me.

- Bb, Plouaret, France, 27/01/2010 14:33
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Sends out a clear message to foreign nationals.

- Frank, Home Counties, England., 27/01/2010 14:15
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Tom, I think I can answer your question! If my heavily pregnant sister was sleeping on a park bench in France then... yes I would go and look after her.

Don't mention it

- Thomas, NW1, 27/01/2010 14:09
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It never ceases to disappoint me the way you and others on this site turn EVERYTHING into a rant about Muslims even when it's completely irrelevant to the story.

Congratulations to Danish Frank on your one today - it scrapes the bottom of a barrel under an already large pile of barrels that have been scraped clean on previous occasions.

You should stick to stoking up religious hatred on Danish websites.

- Stg, Peckham, London, 27/01/2010 14:02
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Emergency housing ? Sod off. Hospital and help back to France at the most.

- Pk, London., 27/01/2010 13:59
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Firstly, there are MANY charitable organisations that offer refuge from the Salvation Army to St Mungoes and there is a free phone SHELTER telephone advice line for people in crisis. Secondly, there is the French Embassy. Thirdly, she had a relative her came to her rescue. Fourthly, personally, I would go and sit in a police station waiting room or hospital waiting room and refuse to leave until arrested, at which point housing would no longer be an issue. If this person is GENUINE, then she must be of very low intelligence / have severe mental health problems which clearly would be a sad situation. Unfortunately, there are SO MANY non-genuine cases, as someone has rightfully pointed out below, that this country simply cannot supply housing to people who think being pregnant and saying you were a victim of violence simply isn't enough. Also, had she reported the violence to the police, they would have investigated it, referred her to the Domestic Violence Unit, Vulnerable Persons Unit, and passed her on to refuges / other agencies. I have been the victim of extreme violence and I know how awful it is but unfortunately, there are too many women getting temporary accommodation / hostels / etc off the back of a pack of lies and that undermines the situation for genuine cases.

- Real, London, 27/01/2010 13:50
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No doubt the Council staff are due a performance bonus shortly.

- Mpr, London, 27/01/2010 13:43
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I think a few of the moronic respondents so far need to consider that, as a French citzzen:

1. She was already living in the UK when she was thrown out by her , possibly true Brit husband (it does not say)

2. As a French citizen, she has exactly the same rights in the UK as UK citizen. Same as we have in France.

Whether the French would have done any better for a British citizen is a moot point, but I suspect yes. In spite of our inbred Gallic phobias, they are rather nicer people on the whole than we are. Her brother came looking for her. Would a Brit do that? Hmmmmmmmmmmm???

- Tom, Bedfordshire, 27/01/2010 13:37
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She should have gone to France, they must have loads of empty shelters as they never put up the asylum seekers who are on their way to the UK. Did they prosecute the husband? At least all this happend in the warm month of June not like now!

- William Staines, hammersmith, W6, 27/01/2010 12:53
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This is a common blag by people who want to get a free house. People say they are pregnant, have a violent partner and homeless.

- Serox, London, 27/01/2010 12:34
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Typical Tory scum and typical Tory suppoerters defending them.

- Kerry, Purley, 27/01/2010 12:26
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I think it's disgusting that Steve Cowan is attempting to score political points from this instead of spending every ounce of his energy ensuring it doesn't happen again.

This is a quite astonishing story.

- St, London, 27/01/2010 11:46
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Yet you give welfare payments to an extreme muslim preacher who wanted to march and protest against our soldiers and benefits to non-EU families who have many children and where the wife is forced to wear a veil, burka and who is not able to work due to religious reasons whilst her children grow up to hate the west and her daughters enter into forced marriages.

- Frank, Copenhagen, Denmark, 27/01/2010 11:32
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OK so she was a French visitor in this country we should have helped. The government will have to explain why she was allowed here in her very advanced position. Surely they have better clinics in France than here. Shame on this government to be wasting every taxpound they raise on "Labour" causes and not on the needy people like this lady as well!!

- Georgie, Islington, London, 27/01/2010 11:21
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How many pregnant women who are holders of French passports do we have to house?

- Yvonne, Hammersmith, UK, 27/01/2010 10:58
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I'm appalled but, sadly, not surprised. What proof of need did they require - a black eye or some other visible injury? Whoever in the council made this outrageous decision should be fired or robustly dealt with. Oh, and publicly named and shamed and sent on a course to learn about humanity and what it means.

- Jlo, London, 27/01/2010 10:58
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These PUBLIC SERVANTS constantly fail and then tell us things have changed since, and lessons have been learnt, if you cocked up like this in the private sector you would be sacked for gross misconduct, the person who made this decision has probably been promoted.

What kind of HUMAN BEING let alone public servant tells a women who is eight months pregnant whos husband has just gone 4 rounds with to go away.

- Steve M, London, 27/01/2010 10:44
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Unbelievable.....what are we coming to?

- Sarah, London, UK, 27/01/2010 10:40
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.....Meanwhile we have foreign non-EU families living in million pound houses at taxpayers' expense. How much longer can this go on?

- Js, London, 27/01/2010 10:38
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how can anyone expect to keep their job in the housing department ? How is it possible to employ such idiots ? I mean, which idiot employed the idiot who made this decision ? I am continually stunned at the perpetual lowering of the bar, how much lower can it possibly go ?

- Rod Mackintosh, berlin germany, 27/01/2010 10:35
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Must not happen again...lessons will be learned..but we will still draw our salaries and retire early..vote tory or New/old Labour!

- Old Contemptible, Poole, England, 27/01/2010 10:12
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