Tug of love over baby Caitlin
TVNZ has an extensive report with video on the Stephen Jelicich case:
A long and public tug of love entered another phase last week when a family court judge ruled that nine-month-old Caitlin Jelicich could return to Wales with her mother.
Within hours the pair were on a flight out of Auckland before Caitlin’s father could prevent his daughter’s departure.
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Union of Fathers co-ordinator Jim Bagnall says Stephen didn’t have a fair say.
Bagnall reckons some fathers get a rotten deal in the family courts and in some cases “there is obviously a gender bias”.
“There’s an agenda within the court in my opinion by certain judges and certain solicitors that fathers will be split from their children,” Bagnall told Sunday.
“The New Zealand Family Court in my experience is a very scary ordeal.”
Stephen Jelicich felt helpless and believed he was up against a system stacked against fathers who want to retain custody of their children. He was desperate and felt his only option to stop his wife leaving with Caitlin was to abduct his own daughter.
Hats off to Stephen for battling for his Daughter and to Jim Bagnall for his work exposing the truth of what happens within the Family Court.
This Jelicich case is a major opertunity for those concerned with NZ Law & Social Policy and the actions of its administators to rack-up the pressure on our MP’s to cause legeslative and policy change toward real HandsOnEqualParenting and relief from all gender bias within FC, WINZ, CHILD SUPPORT, CYF’s, Births-Deathsand Marriages etc
HandsOnEqualParenting from conception Be Best-4-Kids
Comment by Jim Bailey - HandsOnEqualParent — Wed 11th May 2005 @ 2:19 am
Stephen Jelicich,
My heart goes out to you. Another man done over by the NZ family court. Meanwhile at the recent men’s summit Labourite Mayor Harvey harps on about fathers taking thier responsibilities more seriously and dong better by women and children! Such comments seem ludicrous and pathetically out of touch to me.
All power to you Jim Bailey and Jim Bagnall. The sooner we get these father destroyers out of the way the better.
Baby Jelicich you are in my prayers.
I pray you be speedily returned to your heartbroken loving father.
Stephen Gee,
Fathered by Brian,
who was Fathered by Stanley,
who was Fathered by Robert,
who was Fathered by William………….
Comment by Stephen Gee — Wed 11th May 2005 @ 4:10 am
In a Press Release: New Zealand Law Society, The Chair of The Family Law Section Simon Maude claims that the Television New Zealand’s “Sunday ” programme on 8th May (streaming video available via the link in the article above) did not cover satisfactorily the fact that the case was decided under the provisions of the Hague Convention.
He says that if the court found that there was no grave risk for the child in being returned to Wales, then the court was bound in law to order her return.
This is the same court that has decided thousands of fathers are such a grave risk to their children that the relationship must be forcefully terminated, based on the flimsiest of untested allegations. Why is it that a mother with actual criminal domestic violence charges hanging over her is not considered a danger?
Why is it that a violent mother gets government-funded “victim support”, government-funded accomodation at a Women’s Refuge and handed a “get out of jail” card which allows her to escape the consequences of her actions?
Why is it that a father attempting to protect his child from a mother who gets drunk and violent is labled a “child abductor”, and subject to a massive police hunt?
Simon Maude says it would be unfortunate if the public was to conclude that this decision was in any way affected by considerations as to who was a better parent.
Yeah Right!
Comment by JohnP — Wed 11th May 2005 @ 12:14 pm