UPDATE: The father at the centre of an international custody dispute has pleaded with the Australian public to “calm down”.
Speaking through an interpreter, he said: “I am destroyed because my daughters remain not well.”
He words come in the wake of an Australian Family Court judge’s decision to send the man’s four daughters – aged 9 between 15 – from Australian to Italy to be with him.
Since the four girls arrived at his home last week, television crews have filmed emotion scene – including one incident where the two oldest girls tried to run away.
The father has not let his daughters talk to their mother since they arrived in Italy. “I said to her, stay calm, it is impossible for you to speak to the girls. I hope she comes here in peace. That is my wish. If she continues with the war and the struggles, it’s not going to help anything,” he said.
Mamamia previously reported…
It was a distressing scene.
Holiday-makers waiting for flights at Brisbane’s International Airport today, witnessed four young girls being dragged by more than ten uniformed officers, through the terminal and onto a plane.
The girls, sisters aged 9 between 15, have been at the center of an international custody dispute and have been ordered to return to Italy so that the legal matter can be resolved.
Other passengers looked on in horror as the girls refused to board the flight voluntarily; screaming and shouting that they wanted to remain with their mother in Australia.
“Let me go, I want to go home” cried the eldest sister as she was forcibly pulled towards the airport gate.
“Let me go, I want my mum, I want my mum” called one of the younger girls.
The parents of the girls had a shared custody arrangement prior to their mother bringing them to Australia in June 2010 on holiday and then refusing to return.
Their father then invoked an international treaty against child abduction, in an attempt to have the girls returned to Italy so that the custody dispute could be resolved under Italian laws.
Yesterday a family court judge ordered that sisters be returned to Italy to live with their father as soon as possible. The girls’ mother was in court while the judgement was read and cried throughout the process.
As part of his judgement the Australian family court judge Justice Forest required an undertaking from the father that any criminal action against the mother would be withdrawn. The Department of Communities will send officials to care for the children on their journey to Italy.
Last night there were reports that the girls’ mother clung to an Australian Federal Police vehicle as it drove away with her children inside. She then fell to the ground, sobbing and exhausted.
The mother told ABC Radio in Brisbane this morning: ‘‘I’m just praying, I don’t know what to think, I’m just terrified right now”.
News.com.au reports that late last night:
The girls and their father.[Reporters] witnessed one of the girls trying to escape from the rear of another car before she was restrained by one of two male officers in the vehicle.
They had just detained the girl after she tried to flee the apartment where they found her and her sisters. She banged on the rear window of the vehicle as it drove off, tearfully crying out that she wanted to talk to the journalist.
The four girls had spent their last hours of freedom together waiting in fear at the home of an elderly family friend. They watched the TV news as they waited for the knock on the door that would signal their deportation.
The Australian judge has made clear that the girls’ mother is of course free to return to Italy as well. There are currently no reports that the mother is considering doing so.
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Top Comments
If you read the judgement, it is quite clear that the girls all told the original counsellor that they wanted to return to Italy. The mother was provided with a copy of the report that stated this and only after she had seen this did the girls started raising all of the issues re Italy and their father.
It's fine to say kids should have a say but when they've been continually manipulated it's impossible.
The judge also found that the girls objection to returning must be considered in light of the fact that they have been continuously told if they do return they will never see their mother again...
, the parents were separated for 2 years in Italy and had a consent order that dictated custody arrangements ie. her and the father agreed to it and had the court sign off on it. For two years she allowed the girls to visit their father and even tried to talk him into moving to Australia with them. If he was so abusive why did she agree to shared care and allow the girls to visit for those years and why would she have asked him to move here??
And finally, if I wasn't already convinced of the mothers selfishness, the carry on when the girls were being returned confirmed it. She took no steps to prepare the kids and went out of her way to inflame them. A responsible mother would have gone reassured them and let them draw strength from her... But not this lady :(
Please read the court judgement and then comment.
I promise you will change your opinion of the case after you do.
The mother has done everything in her power to manipulate the situation.
She is the only one responsible for the girls fearing going back to Italy.
http://www.familycourt.gov....
Thankyou for posting this. Disgraceful conduct on the part of the mother and her family. Manipulative, disgraceful, shameful conduct. Those poor children will grow up and realise they were just pawns in a game, and manipulated into fearing their father and being 'loyal' to their mother, despite having lived their whole lives in Italy! (apart from when they were kidnapped). This clarifies my views on the matter, and my faith in the reason of the court system in Australia.