Caesarean case mother "was six weeks off due date when baby was forcibly removed" John Hemming, the Liberal Democrat MP who campaigns for greater openness, warned that the episode had tarnished the reputation of British justice abroad. Court papers show that the women, who can not be named, came to Britain in mid June 2012 when she was detained under the Mental Health Act. Ten weeks later, in late August 2012, the local health authority obtained an order from the Court of Protection enabling doctors to deliver the child by caesarean section. Essex County Council then obtained permission to take the child into care and later began the adoption process. The woman, who has spoken of suffering "like an animal," is fighting to have the baby returned to her. She eventually hopes to begin a new life with members of her children's extended family in the US. But Mr Oliva told BBC Radio 5 Live that he understood that the baby, who can not be identified, was delivered at around 34 weeks despite the mother's request to be allowed to return to Italy. The fact that the baby was born in the UK gave British courts jurisdiction. "I don't think that at the time she had the caesarean the pregnancy's time was finished," he said. Absolutely she wanted to come back to Italy and have the baby in Italy and she told me that from the first time she entered the mental care unit she declared to the doctors ... that she wanted to have the baby in Italy and wanted to come back to Italy. He added that she had been allowed contact with the child once a week until she returned to her country at the end of October last year. "She came back to Italy because she felt that in Italy she would have much [more] possibility to cure herself to lead an ordinary life," Mr Oliva told the BBC. Believe me at that time she was convinced that as far as she would have to demonstrate that she is under cure she would keep the baby.