Mother who cut sons toenails in public banned from seeing them

A 51-year-old Australian mother who embarrassed her sons by cutting their nails in public has been banned from seeing them. The incident was the final straw for a New South Wales judge, who said the mother was "oblivious" to what her two boys needed.

The Federal Magistrates' Court heard the woman was on limited, supervised visits with her children when the incident happened. She removed her 10-year-old son's shoes and socks in a shopping centre so she could cut his toenails.



A witness said the boys were upset, crying and resistant, but the mother held one son's knee and foot as he tried to pull away. Magistrate David Halligan said the mother had claimed it was a normal interaction between her and her sons.

"The mother was totally blind to their distress and embarrassment, simply being intent on doing what she wanted to do," he said. "The mother seemed oblivious to the inappropriateness of the time and place where she chose to do this."