Fathers in Illinois should be concerned after a tragic event that unfolded recently in another state, which this blog recently reported on. A father who had been awarded supervised visitation with his two sons locked the social worker out of his home after the children were dropped off. Minutes later, the house exploded in an apparent murder-suicide.

The tragedy has left many experts debating over what is more important: the parental rights of an individual or the safety of a child.

Previously, the man had custody over both children without any supervision. This was after he was named as a person of interest in the disappearance of his wife.

After he was given custody, he moved his children into a home with his father where he also lived. Authorities discovered child pornography in the possession of the children's grandfather and removed the children from the situation, giving custody to their mother's parents.

The father and his attorney argued that he should not be punished for his father's crimes. He was then awarded the supervised visitation.

A psychologist said that courts often believe that parental rights are more important than the safety of the children. She believes it should be the other way around so that a situation like this does not occur again.

She also stated that it is unlikely that hints of this event were not present in the father's behavior. Of course, few could see such a catastrophic event coming and many are second-guessing the decisions made. One attorney who works on child custody cases said the judge should have ordered the visits to be in a neutral location.

For parents or grandparents who are worried about a child's safety in the custody of another parent, it is important to tell a family law attorney everything, so that a judge in a custody hearing has all the evidence they need to rule in the best interests of the child.

Source: The Christian Science Monitor, "Parental rights vs. child safety: Should boys have been visiting Josh Powell?," Amanda Paulson, Feb. 6, 2012