“Help bring my babies home for Christmas.”
Sally Faulkner is a Brisbane mum who hasn’t seen her children since they were kidnapped and taken to Lebanon six months ago.
Now, in pure desperation, she has turned to the government to help bring back her two kids.
The young mum has released an emotional video message to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in a bid to see her children, Noah, 2, and Lahela, 5, be returned home by Christmas.
In the video, obtained by News.com.au, Sally fights back tears explaining that she hasn’t seen Noah or Lahela since their father abducted them earlier this year.
“My two small and very young children have been kidnapped and taken overseas to Lebanon by my ex-husband.
“For six months now I’ve not seen them or heard from them.”
The appeal, if acted upon, will require the Foreign Minister to tackle what is a complex Lebanese court system. Given that parental child abduction is currently not criminalised in Australia, receiving assistance from the government has proven difficult so far.
The international custody battle between Sally and her ex-husband, Ali Elamine, began when the children were taken to Lebanon and the young mum was told ‘they aren’t coming home to Australia, ever’.
It’s an unimaginable nightmare, one which has prompted Sally to create a petition on change.org, which so far has had the support of over 14,000 signatories.
But this is an issue that doesn’t get adequate attention, says Sally, and her story does not exist in isolation.
“It’s not just about me and my children, there are hundreds and hundreds of families that this has happened to,” she says.
“They can’t really do anything. Some people spend over $100,000 that could have been spent on the children.”
Quicky News Headlines: Thursday April 25th 2024
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There's nothing the government can do, the father (if he hasn't already) will apply for full custody, and he WILL get it from a Lebanese Court. You would be far better off if you invested your time and money into locating and employing people who can help you take a more direct approach, from memory GB would be a good place to start.
We may not like it but this is a private custody matter. Unless the country that the children are in is a party to the Hague convention on private international law then there is not much the Government can do.