SEVERE ABUSE FINDING COULD ONLY BE MADE AGAINST A LEGAL PARENT, PRESUMPTION MOTHER’S HUSBAND IS THE FATHER OF THE CHILDREN WAS REBUTTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department determined: (1) under the statutory law in force at the time, a finding of severe abuse could not be made against anyone other than a legal parent; and (2), the presumption that the mother’s  husband (John F) is the father of the children was conclusively rebutted by the allegation in the DSS petition that George R was the biological father of the children:

Although anyone legally responsible for a child’s care may be the subject of a finding of abuse (see Family Ct Act § 1012[a]), at the time of the entry of the order appealed from, a finding of severe abuse could only be made against a legal parent… . Here, since it is undisputed that George R. was not Alexandria F.’s legal parent, the Family Court should not have found that he severely abused Alexandria F. …

… [W]e disagree with the Family Court’s determination that George R. should not be treated as the father of Adalila R. and George W. R. Since the mother was married to John F. when those two children were born, there is a presumption that John F. was their father (see Domestic Relations Law § 24[1]; Family Ct Act § 417 …).

Here, DSS alleged in the petitions relating to Adalila R. and George W. R. that George R. is the father of those two children. These allegations constituted formal judicial admissions that are conclusive of the facts admitted in these proceedings … . Matter of Alexandria F. (George R.), 2018 NY Slip Op 07122, Second Dept 10-24-18

FAMILY LAW (SEVERE ABUSE FINDING COULD ONLY BE MADE AGAINST A LEGAL PARENT, PRESUMPTION MOTHER’S HUSBAND IS THE FATHER OF THE CHILDREN WAS REBUTTED (SECOND DEPT))/SERVER ABUSE (FAMILY LAW, SEVERE ABUSE FINDING COULD ONLY BE MADE AGAINST A LEGAL PARENT, PRESUMPTION MOTHER’S HUSBAND IS THE FATHER OF THE CHILDREN WAS REBUTTED (SECOND DEPT))