Some names are so bizarre, we can’t believe they’ve ever been given to children. But a recent landmark case just went a step further by telling a mother she can’t give her newborn twins the names she chose.
The mother, who is from Powys, Wales, attempted to name her offspring “Cyanide” and “Preacher.” She believed “Cyanide” was a pretty name for a little girl with positive implications since it’s the poison that killed both Hitler and his follower Joseph Goebbels, according to Metro.
She also argued that she had the right to name her own children. However, Justice Eleanor King ruled that the name could cause emotional harm to the child in the future.
“It is hard to see how … the twin girl could regard being named after this deadly poison as other than a complete rejection of her by her birth mother,” said King.
The twins, now 8 months old, were reportedly conceived of rape. They were placed in foster care, along with their three half-siblings, due to the mother’s history of mental illness and drug and alcohol abuse.
Social workers from Powys County Council brought the case to the British Appeal Court. An injunction had previously been issued to prevent the mother from formally registering the names.
“This is one of those rare cases where the court should intervene to protect the girl twin from emotional harm,” said King.
While the judge acknowledged that “Preacher” wasn’t as bad of a name, she decided it was in the best interest of the twins to be renamed by their half-siblings.
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Source: goodhousekeeping.com