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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this 'child abductor' does NOT deserve prison?

74 replies

WomanInChains · 10/09/2018 22:14

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/uk-mother-indea-ford-guilty-abduction-charges-alaska-extradition-a8531361.html

and a slightly different spin..........

www.kcaw.org/2018/03/08/expat-mom-raising-healthy-girls-means-going-prison/

The law is in fact an ass!

OP posts:
Original poster
WomanInChains · 10/09/2018 22:15

Bugger! Sorry can't do clunky links on phone. You'll have to cut and paste!

OP posts:
Original poster
WomanInChains · 10/09/2018 22:17

clicky! Apologies if a Fred has already been started. I didn't see one.

OP posts:
MichonnesBBF · 10/09/2018 22:18

"Fred" :) I just love a typo :)

Original poster
WomanInChains · 10/09/2018 22:28

That wasn't a typo Michonnes. This phone is so crap I try to type as few letters as possible!

I see that the 'abductees' in this case were not keen to be 'released' seeing as they stayed in Alaska. I'm sure they had a choice as the local police were involved.

OP posts:
Original poster
WomanInChains · 10/09/2018 22:47

No one else incensed by this then?

OP posts:
mrsmalcolmreynolds · 10/09/2018 22:49

She breached a court order and falsified a passport application, so no I'm not incensed Hmm.

squeekyhead · 10/09/2018 22:58

At the time of divorce the judge decreed that care should be shared between the parents and that each should hold one child' passport. (Which suggests he suspected one or other of them would try to abduct). The mother breached the court order and deliberately lied to get a passport for the other child. So I have no sympathy.

Feefeetrixabelle · 10/09/2018 23:00

Zero sympathy for the mother. Don’t do the crime if your not prepared to do the time. She knew exactly what she was risking. She should have returned to court to get permission it was in her dcs best interest to do so. Lots of sympathy for the children though

Stripyhoglets1 · 10/09/2018 23:26

No she doesn't - she's taken drastic action to protect her daughter's as the courts wouldn't - and I hope that she served as little time as possible and can get back to her family asap. It's very telling that that step father has custody - not the bio father
Sounds like the police warned her the ex was dangerous too. She could easily be someone seeking advice on here, let down by the courts and feeling desperate she did the only thing she could to protect her girls.

zippey · 10/09/2018 23:52

Protecting your children isn't getting married to someone thousands of miles away and moving in with a virtual stranger. Lets not give this person sympathy just because she is a woman. If a man did this there would be uproar and he is just as much a parent as she is.

She deserves longer in prison to be honest.

WinterIsComing84 · 10/09/2018 23:54

Am I missing where it states the natural father is a danger to his children?

I assumed the Mum to be a typical 'the rules don't apply to me and I have more rights because I'm a mother' type.
From what I've read, she ignored the courts ruling, committed fraud to get another passport for her daughter, and denied her children of a relationship with their father for 3 years by moving them 4500 miles away.

Remind me why I should feel sympathy for her, and not the father?

Defrack · 10/09/2018 23:57

Send her to prison.

How dare she remove a kid from their parent, Like that's a vile thing to do imagine being 3 years without ever seeing your child.

She also commuted fraud.

So honestly I hope she gets he toughest sentence possible and gets what is coming to her.

BabySharkAteMyHamster · 11/09/2018 00:26

Im as disgusted as I would be if a man took his children away from their mother.

I'm not going to start hang wringing just because she gave birth to them

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 11/09/2018 00:34

I've just been reading about this and I really don't feel as though I have enough of the facts to either condemn her or otherwise.

Two things, one mentioned upthread...the children were not returned to their natural father, and the defense indicated that they wouldn't object to her returning to her children rather than serving a custodial sentence, something that the judge felt they weren't able - in law - to do.

Not a whole picture for me.

Stripyhoglets1 · 11/09/2018 00:38

I googled her, there's information in the Canadian news reports that's not in the UK ones, the Police warned her he was a risk to her, he's allegedly been violent and abusive to the children as well as her and social services were involved with them. He's a drug abuser. You read stories on here when women cannot get the courts to protect children and they are forced into contact with dangerous men and everyone is outraged - but this woman needs locking up and the key throwing away according to mumsnet!

NoTeaNoShadeNoPinkLemonade · 11/09/2018 00:44

For this expat mom, raising healthy girls means going to prison - KCAW
www.kcaw.org › 2018/03/08 › ex...

NoTeaNoShadeNoPinkLemonade · 11/09/2018 00:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Spartasprout · 11/09/2018 00:57

I read about this early this morning and the canadian report had comments available, including from her own mother, which details the son she dumped and hasn't contacted since she did a runner. The friends and family members who have spoken out to say she's a liar. The information in the Canadian report is the information she has given them, not from third party sources from what I can see.

I think she should have got a lot more than three years, and I hope her two daughters are returned home to be reunited with their dad and brother.

50Running50 · 11/09/2018 01:02

She got off too lightly if anything!!

TheWinterofOurDiscountTentsMk2 · 11/09/2018 01:05

So honestly I hope she gets he toughest sentence possible and gets what is coming to her

What happened to "we believe her"? She says the ex was physically abusive to her and the children, why not believe her?

Spartasprout · 11/09/2018 01:13

However I've also just found this from May this year which details what happened. I really hope his children are returned to him. Hope the link works.

www.familylawhub.co.uk/default.aspx?i=ce6477

Spartasprout · 11/09/2018 01:17

What about the child she ditched?

Spartasprout · 11/09/2018 01:25

I found the other link which includes the comments from other family members. Quite telling I thought.

www.alaskapublic.org/2018/03/08/for-this-expat-mom-raising-healthy-girls-means-going-to-prison/

hibbledibble · 11/09/2018 01:27

Yes yabu. She fraudulently applied for a passport and knowingly abducted her children. The link above is a good summary.

Sadly it seems as if the children will never now be returned to the father.

SD1978 · 11/09/2018 01:30

Nope. She falsified documents to move where she wanted to. No court evidence of abuse- and it's claimed every time there's an acrimonious split. Sometimes it's factual and sometimes it's spiteful. She left the country, denied them contact, and moved to rural Canada. He's fought to have them back and win. If hes been the one to leave with him, there would have been more outrage. Any parent who kidnaps their children should be held responsible so Le for doing so and the damage they cause to the other parents relationship with their children. You don't get the right to do whatever you want after a relationship breakdown because it suits you. It's what's best for them. And with no abuse. That's both parents. Hence why I'm not stuck in Australia for another 12 years and can't move home to the uk