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.