|
Malaysia warns mum against search for tot |
THIS is the terrified Brisbane woman at the centre of a seven-month
custody dispute sparked by the abduction of her three-year-old son to
Malaysia by his father.
The 30-year-old is petrified of publicity and has been warned by the
Malaysian High Commission she faces grave danger if she enters that
country to find her only child.
And although she will not have her name published or reveal any
personal details, she will do anything to have her Nicholas returned to
her.
The boy's father, a 39-year-old accountant, has been jailed
indefinitely in a Brisbane prison by a Family Court Justice for
contempt after refusing to bring his son back to Australia.
The woman said yesterday her seven-month ordeal was worsening as she
contemplated having to seek her son's return through the Malaysian
court system.
"If Foreign Affairs could help us locate my child I would hop on the
plane, but Malaysia is a big country and I am not from there so I need
all the help in the world," the woman said.
A dozen court appearances since April have left her with enormous and
mounting legal costs. "I am broke, I need to start passing hats
around," she said. "Eventually I will have to sell the house and be
homeless if this continues."
The federal Attorney-General's office is assessing an application that
would provide the woman with partial travel and legal financial
assistance if the matter reached a foreign court.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer's office is
waiting on the outcome of inquiries into the abduction by the
Australian Federal Police and Interpol.
Department officials spoke to the child's mother yesterday.
A spokesman for Mr Downer confirmed his office had been aware of the
abduction for months and had been offering ongoing assistance to the
boy's mother.
"Obviously locating the child is the highest priority," the spokesman said.
Labor's foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said the matter was
obviously a delicate and distressing situation for the family concerned.
Mr Rudd will speak to Mr Downer's office today to make certain
everything is being done to resolve this situation as quickly as
possible.
Jason Gregory and Stefanie Balogh
19oct04
|
