Children in High Demand Organizations: Child Custody Archives

Child Custody

February 20, 2007

Judge's ruling warns Brethren

The Age - Australia

http://www.theage.com.au/news/
investigations/judges-ruling-
warns-brethren/2007/02/20/
1171733764442.html

Michael Bachelard
February 21, 2007

A JUDGE has given three members of an Exclusive Brethren family suspended jail sentences for denying a father an access visit to two of his children.

The judgement was an emphatic statement by the Family Court that it will not tolerate the Exclusive Brethren continuing to flout court orders in pursuit of the sect's policy of strict separation of its members from those who have left the church.

Justice Robert Benjamin imposed four-month suspended prison sentences on the children's mother, a son and her son-in-law.

"What happened in this case is that the court said to these people, 'Do not breach these orders', in circumstances where the finding was clear that the separation of the children and their father was at the higher end of emotional abuse," Justice Benjamin said.

"I made it absolutely clear. Yet some two or three weeks later, a breach occurred. In this case a term of imprisonment is entirely appropriate."

Justice Benjamin concluded that the family had put pressure on the children not to go on the visit.

"These children are entitled to have a relationship with their father, and the steps that the respondents have taken to prevent the relationship are extraordinary and appalling."

The son and son-in-law were found to have aided and abetted the mother, and got the same sentences.

Justice Benjamin suspended the sentences because of the otherwise good record of the mother, her son and son-in-law, and because of the young men's youth. However, they will go to prison if, in the next 12 months, they do not comply with the orders for access, or if the two young men go to the place where the children, aged eight and 13, are handed over.

The mother is not allowed to take any male member of the Brethren with her when she hands over the children, because the judge found men exercised power over women.

He also ordered the mother to pay all the costs in the case, including the father's and those of the independent children's lawyer.

The case arose from a December 21 judgement that the father be given regular access to the two youngest of the couple's eight children, aged eight and 13. But when he went to pick them up at the mother's house for a week-long visit on January 14, he found his son and son-in-law there, even though they were supposed to be at church. The young children, a boy and a girl, told the father they did not want to go with him.

"I knocked on the door, the children came to the door and said, without emotion, that 'I'm not coming with you'. I said why. They said, 'I'm just not'. I said to (my daughter), 'The judge did say that it's OK'.

"And immediately at that point she turned around and looked up at her mother and gave a smile, which troubled me, as if some preconceived plan was in place," the father said.

"What I saw was (one young man) standing in the doorway with his arms folded … an overbearing attitude. (The other young man) was standing on the other side of the door … there were four adults there, and I saw intimidated children."

But the mother gave evidence that the children were presented for the father to take, their bags were packed and on the veranda, and she had told them they were allowed to go. But during a two-hour stand-off, a police officer was called but could not deliver the children to the father.

The mother admitted under cross-examination that members of the Exclusive Brethren had deposited more than $50,000 into a bank account for her to pay her legal costs.

Costs are escalating quickly after the mother briefed a senior Melbourne QC, Noel Ackman, to appear in a motion to have the judge stay his orders.

The mother said the money was a loan. She denied that it was part of a "fighting fund" amassed by the Brethren to fight Family Court cases.

"It's a system of society of love that you probably don't understand," the mother told the father's counsel, Terry McGuire.

She also admitted to speaking for about 10 minutes to Exclusive Brethren world leader Bruce Hales 10 days after the failed access visit, on January 24.

She described Mr Hales as a "family friend" and denied he had influenced her about the case.

During evidence, the mother laughed when asked if there was a photograph of the children's father in the house.

Asked if she had told him that he became a grandfather late in January, she said: "That's not my responsibility."

"That's extraordinary," Justice Benjamin said. "How sad it was that this house was so poisonous to the father that they could not even have a photograph of the father in their home."

The judge rejected the mother's argument that the children were acting from free will, saying these "were not the views of these children but of the adults who surrounded them".

He said he found the mother, her son and son-in-law evasive, and preferred the evidence of the father.

The mother also gave evidence that if according to her conscience the law of the land conflicted with God's law, she would reject it.

Justice Benjamin had earlier rejected an application by Mr Ackman, QC, for a stay of his orders. Mr Ackman argued that the children were entitled to exercise their free will not to see their father, and that his insistence that he be given access "can hardly be a considered decision of a man who says this is in the best interests of the children".

After losing that argument, Mr Ackman launched a second action, this time asking Justice Benjamin to disqualify himself, on the grounds of bias, from hearing the case brought by the father that the mother had contravened the order. Justice Benjamin refused to disqualify himself.

The judge also refused an application by the mother's other lawyer, Roger Murray, to close the court to The Age.

Posted by Perry at 04:17 PM

January 23, 2007

Arizona lawmaker targets visitation by polygamists

Deseret Morning News
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/
0,1249,650224029,00.html

January 19, 2007

By Ben Winslow

In a traditional divorce, the judge often orders mommy and daddy to share the child, granting custody to one and visitation to the other.
But what if there are "other" mothers?
An Arizona lawmaker has filed a bill in that state seeking to block the courts from granting any visitation to a spouse who practices polygamy.
"In a typical marriage, the courts try to strike a balance," said Rep. David Lujan, D-Phoenix. "I don't believe that works when you're dealing with one parent who's engaged in child bigamy. Child bigamy is essentially child abuse."
Lujan, who is an attorney for a children's justice organization, came up with the legislation to help women leaving the polygamous border communities of Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah. He said his office recently helped a woman with seven kids file for divorce. The courts granted the father visitation rights.
"It's very traumatic for the kids. They're being forced to live in two dramatically different worlds," Lujan said in an interview with the Deseret Morning News. "When they go to their fathers on weekends, the girls put on the long polygamous dresses. The father's preaching the concept of child bigamy. Essentially, he is telling the kids that they're going to have to get married at an early age."

Lujan's bill includes polygamy as a reason for the courts to block child visitation. However, he said Wednesday he plans to amend the legislation to exclude that while focusing on "child bigamy" or child-bride marriages.
The bill is being watched by pro-polygamy activists on the Utah-Arizona border. Marlyne Hammon with the Centennial Park Action Committee said she opposes child-bride marriages, but said lawmakers may only be getting a one-sided opinion of plural marriage.
"They think that anybody in polygamy is abusive and it's a bad situation," she said. "They don't have that input on a larger group of people who live a happy lifestyle."
Lujan said he is not necessarily targeting polygamy, but hoping to help people leave an abusive situation in a polygamous society.
"When the courts are just giving the kids back to the fathers, it makes it that much more difficult to leave the polygamous communities," he said.
The HOPE Organization, a Washington City-based nonprofit group that helps people leaving the closed societies, said the bill could aid women forced to make a tough choice.
"It might let those women who want their children know they have more choices," said HOPE director Elaine Tyler. "Some women are told they can leave, but they can't take their children. I tell these women they're going to have to go through a custody battle."
Lujan is also drafting legislation that would spend $500,000 to provide transitional shelters in Arizona for women leaving Colorado City.

Posted by Perry at 04:09 PM

January 15, 2007

Court lets sect kids see dad, but not TV

The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/
story/0,20867,21059109-5006788,00.html

By Michael McKenna

January 15, 2007

AN excommunicated member of the Exclusive Brethren sect has been ordered by the Family Court not to expose his children to television, radio or non-members of the church in a landmark decision granting him access rights.

Despite finding Exclusive Brethren members and the mother had been "abusive" in denying the father access visits after the Tasmanian couple's 2003 separation, his bid for full custody was denied because it would be too traumatic for the children to be removed from the secretive Christian sect.

The ruling, which took effect yesterday with the children's first visit to the father, followed revelations about the sect's attempts to lobby the Family Court and federal Government to bend legislation so that former members were kept away from their children who remained in the Exclusive Brethren.

In the decision, both parents were banned from discussing or denigrating each other's faith in front of the children, with similar orders put on extended family within the sect who were accused, along with Exclusive Brethren elders, of trying to turn the children away from their father and his "worldly" influences.

Family Court judge Robert Benjamin said the case reflected a "conflict between the principles of church and the laws of government".

Justice Benjamin said it was time for the Exclusive Brethren to give up their fight, through a series of well-funded custody battles over the past 30 years, to stop defecting members getting access to their children.

"It must surely not be beyond your intellect and wit to find a dimension in your beliefs so that they may reconcile with the law of this country and the need for children to know both of their parents," he said.

The father, 49, who cannot be named, told the court he wanted custody so he could show the three children, aged between six and 16, "another side of life" to that in which they were raised by their mother, 48, a fourth-generation church member.

The Exclusive Brethren, estimated to have an Australian congregation of 20,000, forbids mixing with non-members.

Television, radio, cinema, mobile phones, life insurance and university education are banned. The father, a member from the age of five, described the Brethren as an intolerant cult. He told the court that the three children, the youngest of eight he had with his former wife, needed to be released "from the clutches and powers of the Brethren".

He joined the "Open Brethren", a fundamentalist Christian religion with fewer restrictions.

After separating from his wife and leaving the sect, he was excommunicated, and the childrens' visits were reduced then terminated last year, the court heard. The mother said the children should not have a relationship with their father, with whom she conceded they were close before the separation, as "their obligations to God are greater than their obligations to family".

Asked what she would do if the children were ordered to live with their father, the mother said she would want a relationship with them, but only if they were faithful to the Exclusive Brethren.

Justice Benjamin refused to rule on the father's claims that the Exclusive Brethren was harmful to society.

But he ruled it would not be "conducive" to remove the children from the religion.

In dismissing the mother's claim for exclusive custody, he said the Family Law Act enshrined the presumption that a relationship with both parents was best for children. "It is in the best interests of these children to spend time with the father on a regular basis, and that such time should be free of influence with regard to the underlying beliefs of the children or either of their parents," he said.

Justice Benjamin said the father had an "epiphany" in 2003 about the Exclusive Brethren. "This court will make orders enabling the children to continue to have the benefit of a meaningful relationship with you, but will not allow that time to be used to meet your broader emotional or political objectives," he said.

"The orders I will make are intended to restrain you from taking the children to your church and from exposing them to television, radio, computers and other things and events which are in breach of the very tenets that you imposed upon them up to 2003."

The mother was told to comply with bi-monthly visits and that her "abusive behaviour in terms of these children cease immediately". "These children are not a thing or a possession of the mother or the church," he said.

Justice Benjamin said he took the unusual step of calling the children to court after they expressed a wish not to see their father. "You may have received mixed messages from others close to you about whether it is OK to see your father and spend good times with him. Let me make it clear: it is OK," he said.

Posted by Perry at 04:14 PM

French woman convicted of abducting children from Canada freed

International Herald Tribune
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/13/
europe/EU-GEN-France-Canada-Custody-Fight.php

January 13, 2007

The Associated Press

PARIS: A French woman imprisoned for abducting two of her children from their Canadian father was freed Saturday from French custody in a provisional release, the Justice Ministry said.

In a case that drew trans-Atlantic attention, Nathalie Gettliffe was convicted last month in Vancouver to 16 months in prison. She pleaded guilty, saying she took the children to France in 2001 to remove them from their father's influence because he was increasingly active in The International Church of Christ, which is banned in France as a sect.

Gettliffe was pregnant at the time of her arrest in Canada in April 2006 and gave birth in a Canadian prison. She now has four children: two by Canadian Scott Grant, aged 12 and 13, and two by Frenchman Francis Gruzelle, aged 3 months and 17 months.

Gettliffe was returned to France in December to serve the remainder of her term. On Friday, a judge in Evry, south of Paris, ruled she could be released early to care for her two younger children, but would remain under judicial surveillance.

On Saturday, she left the Fleury-Merogis prison with her baby.
French authorities returned the older children to Vancouver in July, reuniting them with their father.

Gettliffe was arrested when she returned to Canada to finish a doctoral degree in applied linguistics at a university in British Columbia.

Posted by Perry at 02:45 PM

Nathalie Gettliffe bénéficie d'une libération conditionnelle

nouvelobs
http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/depeches/
politique/20070112.FAP6563/nathalie_gettliffe_
beneficie_dune_liberation_conditionn.html

AP | 12.01.2007 |

Le juge d'application des peines (JAP) d'Evry (Essonne) a accordé vendredi la libération conditionnelle parentale à Nathalie Gettliffe, condamnée début décembre par la justice canadienne à 16 mois d'emprisonnement pour l'enlèvement de deux de ses enfants et extradée vers la France juste avant Noël, a-t-on appris de sources judiciaires.

Le parquet d'Evry a renoncé à faire appel ce qui permettra à Nathalie Gettliffe de quitter la maison d'arrêt de Fleury-Mérogis, avec son fils Martin, âgé de trois mois, dans la journée de samedi, a-t-on précisé de mêmes sources.

Elle avait déjà purgé les deux-tiers de sa peine au Canada et avait bénéficié de deux permissions de sortie pour Noël et le Nouvel An.

La libération conditionnelle parentale est prévue pour les parents d'enfants de moins de 10 ans, condamnés à des peines inférieures à quatre ans d'emprisonnement. Ils ne doivent pas justifier d'un projet professionnel.

Nathalie Gettliffe s'est néanmoins vue imposer par le JAP des obligations qu'elle doit remplir jusqu'au 30 avril 2008 si elle ne veut pas retourner en prison. Elle doit ainsi répondre à toutes les convocations du JAP de Privas (Ardèche), près de son domicile, et des travailleurs sociaux. Elle doit aussi obtenir l'autorisation du JAP pour quitter le territoire national et pour tout changement de résidence ou de travail, a-t-on précisé de sources judiciaires.

"Ma joie après l'annonce de la libération de Nathalie Gettliffe est totalement assombrie par les souffrances et le calvaire endurés par Maximilien, 13 ans, et Josephine, 11 ans et demi, dans la secte de leur père à Vancouver, suite à leur renvoi dans la secte par le ministre de la Justice Pascal Clément le 5 juillet dernier", a réagi le compagnon de Mme Gettliffe, Francis Gruzelle, dans un communiqué.

M. Gruzelle est le père des deux plus jeunes enfants de Nathalie Gettliffe, Jean-Philippe, 17 mois, et Martin, 3 mois. Il a annoncé que sa compagne, "très affaiblie par les conditions inhumaines de détention infligées par les Canadiens", tiendra un premier point presse mercredi prochain à 15h, à la mairie de Satillieu (Ardèche).

Nathalie Gettliffe a été condamnée le 4 décembre dernier par un tribunal de Vancouver (Colombie-Britannique) à 16 mois de prison et trois ans de mise à l'épreuve pour l'enlèvement en 2001 des deux enfants nés de son mariage avec le Canadien Scott Grant.

Elle s'opposait depuis au retour au Canada de ses deux enfants, Maximilien et Joséphine Grant-Gettliffe, pour les protéger de leur père, adepte de l'Eglise internationale du Christ, considérée comme une secte et interdite d'activité en France mais pas au Canada.

La Française a été arrêtée le 9 avril dernier à sa descente d'avion au Canada, où elle se rendait pour soutenir une thèse à l'université Simon Fraser de Vancouver. La jeune femme, alors enceinte de six mois, avait été aussitôt placée en détention.

Quatre mois plus tard, en août, Maximilien et Joséphine, cachés en Savoie par la famille de Nathalie Gettliffe, étaient retrouvés par les gendarmes et rendus, en vertu de jugements canadiens et français, à leur père, avec qui ils vivent aujourd'hui en Colombie-Britannique. AP

Posted by Perry at 02:42 PM

January 12, 2007

Nathalie Gettliffe bénéficie d'une libération conditionnelle

nouvelobs
http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/
depeches/politique/20070112.FAP6563/
nathalie_gettliffe_beneficie_dune_
liberation_conditionn.html

AP | 12.01.2007 |

Elle avait déjà purgé les deux-tiers de sa peine au Canada et avait bénéficié de deux permissions de sortie pour Noël et le Nouvel An.

Posted by Perry at 03:48 PM

January 09, 2007

Nathalie Gettliffe a commis beaucoup d’erreurs

LYON MAG
http://www.lyonmag.com/spip.php?article9916

Janvier 2007

Journaliste français installé au Canada, Benoît Ferradini a suivi le procès de Nathalie Gettliffe pour Radio-Canada. Il explique pourquoi cette enseignante lyonnaise a été condamnée à seize mois de prison pour avoir enlevé ses enfants.

Pourquoi la justice canadienne a condamné aussi durement Nathalie Gettliffe ?

Benoît Ferradini : Parce qu’au Canada, qui est un pays très légaliste, Nathalie Gettliffe est considérée comme une criminelle. Et là-bas, une femme qui enlève ses enfants est ni plus ni moins qu’une hors-la-loi. Mais si Nathalie Gettliffe a été durement condamnée, c’est également parce qu’elle a commis beaucoup d’erreurs depuis qu’elle a été arrêtée. Des erreurs qui l’ont totalement décrédibilisée.

Quelles erreurs elle a commises ?

Les Canadiens ont trouvé stupide et arrogant qu’après avoir enlevé ses enfants, elle revienne tranquillement au Canada en pensant échapper à toute poursuite judiciaire. Ensuite, ils n’ont pas compris lorsqu’elle a annoncé qu’elle voulait se présenter à l’élection présidentielle en France pour échapper à toute condamnation ! Enfin, les Canadiens n’ont pas du tout apprécié le livre qu’elle a écrit avec son compagnon, Francis Gruzelle, et dans lequel ils racontent son histoire. Car ce livre présente le Canada comme un véritable enfer, où la justice est noyautée par une secte, où les prisons ressemblent à Guantanamo... D’ailleurs, cette campagne médiatique contre le Canada lui a fait beaucoup de tort.

Nathalie Gettliffe a menti ?

J’ai interviewé Nathalie Gettliffe plusieurs fois. Et au cours de ces entretiens, j’ai relevé certaines incohérences dans son témoignage. Exemple : une fois, elle m’a affirmé que son ex-mari Scott Grant couchait avec sa fille ! Alors qu’elle ne l’avait jamais dit aux policiers ! Et quand je lui ai demandé des précisions, elle n’a pas été claire. D’ailleurs, elle n’a jamais accusé clairement son mari d’inceste. Mais s’est contentée plutôt de faire des sous-entendus...

D’autres incohérences ?

En fait, c’est surtout son compagnon français Gruzelle qui a joué un rôle assez trouble. Notamment quand il a déclaré aux journalistes que Scott Grant battait ses enfants depuis qu’il en avait obtenu la garde au Canada. Il affirme même avoir un témoin ! Du coup, j’ai demandé des explications à Nathalie Gettliffe sur ces accusations. Et elle m’a avoué qu’elle n’était pas au courant de cette affaire !

Mais son mari était tout de même membre d’une secte !

C’est vrai que Scott Grant est membre de l’Eglise internationale du Christ. Et Nathalie Gettliffe dit la vérité à propos du contrôle de l’emploi du temps des adeptes, de leur vie familiale, de la présence imposée d’un guide spirituel, de l’éloignement des enfants pour que les parents se consacrent à l’étude de la Bible... Mais il faut également souligner que depuis 2003 cette secte a beaucoup évolué : ses dirigeants ont changé, et il paraît qu’il y a moins de recrutements agressifs. D’ailleurs, il y a de moins en moins de plaintes contre elle. Ce qui a permis d’ailleurs à Scott Grant de dire qu’elle n’était pas dangereuse pour ses enfants.

Mais en France, la justice est beaucoup plus méfiante vis-à-vis de cette secte !

Oui, mais au Canada, comme aux États-Unis d’ailleurs, on est beaucoup plus tolérant sur les appartenances religieuses. D’ailleurs, le problème n’est pas là. Car au fond, la secte n’a jamais vraiment été au centre du débat dans cette affaire. Cette question a été occultée, car les Canadiens se sont concentrés sur l’attitude de Nathalie Gettliffe, qui a été très critiquée.

Vous pensez que Nathalie Gettliffe a des remords aujourd’hui ?

Quand je l’ai rencontrée en septembre, elle m’a dit qu’elle ne regrettait rien. Même pas d’être revenue au Canada. D’ailleurs, quand je suis allée la voir en prison, je l’ai trouvée très détendue. Je ne sais pas si elle l’était vraiment ou si c’était une attitude qu’elle cherchait à se donner. On s’est vus dans un bureau, elle était libre avec son bébé. D’ailleurs j’ai trouvé que la prison faisait beaucoup d’efforts pour faciliter la communication entre elle et les journalistes.

Quelle a été son attitude au moment du verdict ?

Trois jours avant le verdict, elle a fait des excuses à son ex-mari et à ses enfants. Ça a été assez rapide, mais émouvant, car elle s’est mise à pleurer. Par contre, au moment du verdict, le lundi, elle n’a eu aucune réaction. Elle avait l’air absente, et on n’a pas réussi du tout à savoir ce qu’elle pensait.

Posted by Perry at 03:09 PM

January 08, 2007

Chronique avec un J

CHRONIQUE
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/
20070108/CPOPINIONS/701080650&
SearchID=73268436275234

Le lundi 08 janvier 2007

Yves Boisvert

La Presse

Nos lecteurs n'en laissent pas passer une. " Vous avez oublié la lettre J! " m'ont dit plusieurs au sujet de ma revue de l'année de A à Z. C'est rigoureusement exact. Il y a des années comme ça, sans aucun J. C'est rare, d'habitude on a des années sans W, sans X, sans Y, mais sans J, c'était la première fois.

Ce n'est pas de ma faute, c'est une époque comme ça, pleine d'événements inattendus qui se produisent dans des lettres incroyables.

Je propose pour y remédier d'écrire une chronique en J. J comme janvier. Bon, d'accord, prenons un autre sujet, vu que de janvier, il n'y en a pas non plus, cette année.

J comme justice, alors. Ah, j'en entends qui protestent, qui disent que cela non plus n'existe pas. Disons que c'est un ouvrage de longue haleine et que les opinions sur ce qui est juste varient légèrement.

Est-il juste d'emprisonner une mère honnête aux yeux doux pendant deux semaines pour une simple histoire de garde d'enfants un peu compliquée?

Je parle ici évidemment de la grande affaire du temps des Fêtes, Myriam Bédard. Est-il juste qu'elle ait passé deux semaines en détention avant d'être rapatriée au Canada? Qui a peur de Myriam Bédard? Personne. Son enfant était-il en danger? Nullement. Après tout, n'est-ce pas un simple problème de droit civil qui l'a envoyée en prison?

Voilà qui est mal poser le problème. Les " enlèvements d'enfants " par un parent mettent rarement les enfants en danger. Simplement, un parent décide qu'il se fout de l'autre parent, ou carrément veut sortir l'autre parent de sa vie. On voit cela surtout dans des cas de mariages entre gens de nationalités différentes. Le problème est suffisamment préoccupant pour qu'il y ait une convention internationale sur le sujet.

En 2006, les médias français ont fait tout un raffut avec l'affaire Nathalie Gettliffe. La femme a la double nationalité française et canadienne. Elle a épousé un Canadien de Colombie-Britannique et ils ont eu deux enfants. Ils se sont séparés. En 2001, elle a emmené les enfants en France pour les vacances d'été. Elle ne les a jamais ramenés au Canada. Elle a refait sa vie avec un Français, avec qui elle a un jeune enfant.

Le mari canadien a entrepris des recours judiciaires en France. Il les a tous remportés. Mais les choses traînaient et il n'y avait pas moyen de ramener ses enfants au pays. Soudainement, en avril 2006, Mme Gettliffe revient au Canada pour aller défendre une thèse de doctorat en Colombie-Britannique. Elle est aussitôt arrêtée, emprisonnée, accusée d'enlèvement. Les enfants sont ramenés de force avec leur père, au Canada.

Pour ajouter au pathétique de l'affaire, Mme Gettliffe était enceinte au moment de son arrestation. Elle a donc accouché en détention. Son nouveau mari, journaliste, a dénoncé violemment la justice canadienne, estimant qu'on traitait de manière inhumaine cette pauvre mère. Après tout, n'était-ce pas une simple histoire de garde d'enfants? Mme Gettliffe a écrit un livre où elle a dit être détenue dans un " Guantánamo canadien ". Elle a déclaré avoir fui le Canada pour protéger ses enfants, vu que le père est membre d'une Église fondamentaliste chrétienne qu'en France on considère comme une secte. Il y a toujours une raison, après tout, pour quitter son conjoint. Le père, en vérité un col blanc tout ce qu'il y a d'ordinaire, est un fervent chrétien, certes, mais pas du tout du genre Temple solaire.

Toujours est-il que Mme Gettliffe s'est avouée coupable d'enlèvement en novembre. La juge l'a condamnée à six mois de détention supplémentaires. Votre pire crime n'est pas d'être partie avec vos enfants, c'est d'avoir fait en sorte qu'ils haïssent leur père, a dit la juge.

C'est un cas qui n'a rien à voir avec celui de Myriam Bédard, à première vue. Sauf qu'on a aussi une femme " pas dangereuse " qui a décidé de changer de vie. Qui voudrait l'envoyer en prison? Et puis... ne punit-on pas aussi les enfants?

On ne sait pas bien les raisons et les circonstances qui ont expliqué le départ du Canada de la championne olympique. Jusqu'ici, on a des rumeurs, des bouts de déclaration et des sparages d'avocats. Peut-être sera-t-elle acquittée, je n'en sais rien.

Sans doute peut-on déplorer que Myriam Bédard ait passé deux semaines en prison. Le juge de Québec l'a libérée sous caution à la première occasion. Mais après tout, c'est elle qui a créé cette situation en étant hors du pays. C'est elle qui s'est victimisée.

Imaginons un instant que ce soit le père qui décide d'emmener l'enfant avec lui en Autriche, disons, pour y passer l'hiver parce que (par exemple) il n'aime pas le nouveau conjoint de Mme Bédard. Ou qu'il aime mieux les écoles européennes. Je doute fort qu'il ait droit à la sympathie publique ou judiciaire. Il se ferait éventuellement arrêter s'il persistait à violer les droits de la mère qui sont aussi ceux de l'enfant de voir ses deux parents. Et tout le monde dirait qu'il a couru après. On s'inquiéterait de cet enfant, qui a des amis, une école, une vie, quoi.

Il est certes trop tôt pour condamner Myriam Bédard. Mais il est aussi tôt pour banaliser l'affaire simplement parce que cet enfant n'était pas " en danger " ou qu'on ne craint pas Myriam Bédard. Est-ce moins grave parce qu'il s'agit de la mère?

Aucun parent ne peut prendre dans ses bras les droits de son enfant et de l'autre conjoint, et partir avec son enfant comme si de rien n'était. Ce n'est pas juste.

Pour joindre notre chroniqueur :yves.boisvert@lapresse.ca

Posted by Perry at 03:31 PM

December 06, 2006

Fin du feuilleton Nathalie Gettliffe

6 décembre 2006 - 06h00

La Presse
http://www.lapresseaffaires.com/
article/20061206/CPMONDE/
612060625/5891/LAINFORMER01

Louis-Bernard Robitaille

Paris

Après avoir fait une assez belle carrière médiatique en France au cours des huit derniers mois, le feuilleton Nathalie Gettliffe vient de connaître sa conclusion. La Franco-Canadienne de 35 ans, qui avait finalement plaidé coupable début novembre, a été condamnée lundi soir à 16 mois de prison et aurait donc encore six mois au maximum à purger.

En fait, elle pourrait, à brève échéance, purger la fin de sa peine dans une prison française, en vertu des accords existants entre la France et le Canada. Le ministre français de la Justice, Pascal Clément, a fait savoir hier qu'il appuierait la demande de transfert de Nathalie Gettliffe aux autorités canadiennes. Le sort de cette jeune mère de quatre enfants (dont le dernier est né en détention à Vancouver) a nourri depuis le mois d'avril dernier une campagne de presse abondante. Et contrastée.

Dans le « camp Gettliffe », on trouve plusieurs médias populaires nationaux la chaîne de télé TF1 ou l'influent quotidien Le Parisien qui se sont jetés sans réserve sur cette belle histoire d'une jeune femme enceinte de huit mois, en détention préventive au Canada pour avoir en 2001 « soustrait ses deux jeunes enfants à l'influence d'une secte ». On trouve aussi de nombreux élus locaux en Ardèche et en Rhône-Alpes, où vivaient Mme Gettliffe et son nouveau compagnon, Francis Gruzelle, un journaliste régional.

Dans le camp « adverse », des médias de référence comme Le Monde ou Le Nouvel Observateur, se montraient dès le départ plus circonspects. Ils rappelaient que l'argument de la secte n'avait été invoqué par Mme Gettliffe que longtemps après qu'elle eut quitté illégalement le Canada avec ses enfants. Que les tribunaux français jusqu'au niveau de la Cour de cassation avaient à trois reprises examiné cet argument de la secte et avaient entièrement donné tort à la jeune mère.

Vérités et contrevérités

Hier encore, Jean-Philippe Deniau, de France-Info, première radio nationale d'info continue, abondait dans ce sens : Mme Gettliffe, à qui les tribunaux français avaient toujours donné tort, avait trouvé le moyen de répéter jusqu'à la fin qu'elle ne « regrettait rien ». Et pendant ce temps, Francis Gruzelle, père de ses deux derniers enfants, « publiait un communiqué par jour truffé de contrevérités et de diffamations ». Sans parler du livre qu'il a cosigné avec Nathalie et qui décrit « l'enfer des prisons canadiennes ».

Fait inusité, dans son numéro du 2 novembre dernier, L'Express publiait une page entière faisant état d'une vigoureuse mise au point de l'ambassadeur du Canada en France concernant notamment l'état du régime carcéral au Canada, avec à l'appui une photo du centre de détention de Mme Gettliffe, qui ressemble davantage à un camp de vacances en forêt qu'à une prison française.

De son côté, le même Francis Gruzelle commentait hier le verdict en ces termes : « Pour quatre enfants, dont deux bébés, ça veut dire que le père Noël canadien est une ordure Notre fils Martin (né en détention) est le plus jeune prisonnier politique du monde »

Pour des raisons qu'on imagine, les diplomates canadiens en France ne sont pas fâchés de voir arriver le mot FIN dans ce feuilleton.

Posted by Perry at 02:55 PM

December 05, 2006

Pascal Clément prêt à appuyer Gettliffe

Nouvel Observateur
http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/
actualites/international/ameriques/
20061205.OBS1456/pascal_clement_
preta_appuyer_gettliffe.html

05.12.2006

Pascal Clément se dit prêt à appuyer Nathalie Gettliffe auprès des autorités canadiennes, afin qu'elle purge ses six derniers mois de prison en France.

Le garde des Sceaux Pascal Clément est prêt à demander aux autorités canadiennes que la Française Nathalie Gettliffe purge le restant de sa peine en France si elle en fait la requête, a-t-on indiqué mardi 5 décembre à la Chancellerie.

La Française Nathalie Gettliffe, qui a reconnu avoir enlevé ses enfants au Canada pour les ramener en France afin de les extraire d'une secte, avait écopé, lundi, d'une peine de 16 mois d'emprisonnement - moins les 10 mois de détention provisoire qu'elle a déjà purgés.

La juge Marvyn Koenigsberg, de la Cour suprême de Colombie-Britannique, lui a également imposé une période de trois ans de mise à l'épreuve.

L'accusation avait requis deux ans d'emprisonnement à son encontre.

La ressortissante française âgée de 35 ans avait été appréhendée en avril dernier alors qu'elle était revenue à Vancouver pour défendre sa thèse à l'Université de Colombie-Britannique. Depuis, elle est détenue pour l'enlèvement en 2001 de ses enfants, Maximilien, et Joséphine, qui avaient été confiés à la garde de leur père par un tribunal canadien.

"J'assume l'entière responsabilité de mes geste"

Nathalie Gettliffe avait emmené les enfants avec elle en France, où ils ont vécu durant cinq ans. Maximilien et Joséphine ont été remis à leur père en juillet.

Au dernier jour de son procès à Vancouver, vendredi, Nathalie Gettliffe s'est déclaré désolée. "Je veux seulement m'excuser auprès des enfants et m'excuser auprès de (mon ancien conjoint) Scott", a-t-elle dit au tribunal. "J'assume l'entière responsabilité de mes gestes".

"Je veux quitter la prison le plus tôt possible pour entreprendre une meilleure relation avec mes enfants et leur père", a-t-elle ajouté après avoir reconnu le mois dernier sa culpabilité.

La juge Koenigsberg a à ce moment-là souligné que le plus grand tort que la jeune femme avait causé à ses enfants n'avait pas été de les emmener en France durant cinq ans, mais de leur faire détester leur père.

Appelé à faire une déclaration à titre de victime, l'ancien mari de Nathalie Gettliffe, Scott Grant, a de son côté expliqué au tribunal que les agissements et les mots de son ex-femme avaient empoisonné sa relation avec ses enfants.

Membre de l'Eglise internationale du Christ

Il a raconté que les deux enfants, avec qui il entretenait une relation chaleureuse avant l'enlèvement, étaient devenus complètement hostiles quand on les lui avait remis, lui demandant notamment pourquoi il avait envoyé leur mère en prison et pourquoi il avait été méchant avec elle.

Scott Grant est membre de l'Eglise internationale du Christ, considérée comme un mouvement sectaire en France, mais pas au Canada.

Lundi, il a estimé devant le tribunal qu'il s'agissait d'un triste jour pour sa famille. "Nathalie a besoin d'aide et sa famille a besoin d'aide", a-t-il estimé.

Maximilien et Joséphine seront autorisés à rendre visite à leur mère, qui a donné naissance à un autre enfant durant sa détention.

En France, le compagnon de Nathalie Gettliffe, Francis Gruzelle, a vivement condamné la sentence, s'en prenant aux autorités françaises et canadiennes, tout en déplorant la situation ainsi créée pour les quatre enfants de la Française. Il est le père de deux de ces enfants, dont le petit Martin, né en septembre alors que sa mère était incarcérée au Canada.

"La France a baissé son pantalon"

"La France a baissé son pantalon dans cette affaire. Si la France ne l'avait pas livrée (...) aux autorités canadiennes, elle ne serait pas en prison à l'heure qu'il est", a-t-il déclaré au micro de LCI.

"Six mois ça veut dire (...) qu'on martyrise quatre enfants, et pour les quatre enfants, le Père Noël canadien Harper est une ordure", a ajouté M. Gruzelle, faisant référence au Premier ministre canadien Stephen Harper.

De son côté, le député PS de l'Ardèche Pascal Terrasse a espéré lundi après l'annonce de la sentence, que les autorités canadiennes fassent un geste à l'occasion des fêtes de fin d'année et en a appelé à l'intervention de Jacques Chirac.

"Je trouve que la décision est très sévère", a-t-il dit à France Info. "Evidemment, il appartient aux autorités canadiennes judiciaires de défendre le droit canadien, mais dans le même temps, il y a une raison humanitaire supérieure dans ce contexte-là qui n'a pas été prise en compte".

"Regardons l'avenir acec espérance"

"J'ai été lourdement peiné d'apprendre ça, mais j'ai envie de dire: 'regardons avec espérance l'avenir'. On pourrait solliciter le président de la République française Jacques Chirac, qui lui-même pourrait solliciter son homologue canadien", a observé le député.

Et d'ajouter: "Je vais solliciter vraisemblablement l'ambassade du Canada" et "plaider l'idée selon laquelle elle pourrait bénéficier d'une forme d'extradition de manière à ce que, à l'occasion des fêtes de fin d'année (...), les autorités canadiennes, les autorités françaises trouvent la voie juste. On pourrait imaginer qu'elle puisse être incarcérée dans une prison de la région pour terminer les six mois qui lui restent à faire".

Posted by Perry at 06:43 PM

'Brainwashing' mother gets 16 months for abducting kids

Ex-husband fears children will be taken by her again

Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/
story.html?id=3449d03f-41e0-48da-89ee-c6f616cae37d

December 05, 2006

Calling it one of the most egregious cases of "effective brainwashing" and psychological poisoning she had seen in her career, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Marvyn Koenigsberg sentenced a woman to 16 months in jail for abducting her two children and taking them to France in defiance of a court order.

Koenigsberg said Monday that Nathalie Gettliffe-Grant continued to deliberately alienate her two children, Josephine, 11, and Maximilien, 12, from their father, Scott Grant, for the five years they lived in France, and even after she was arrested in Vancouver and was awaiting trial.

The judge said the 35-year-old university professor, who is both a Canadian and a French citizen, whipped up sentiment against her ex-husband in France as "a cult-crazed, violent, abusive figure who gave money to a cult," allegations she knew were completely false.

The result is that despite the best efforts of their father to support and love them, the children now hate him for things he didn't do, Koenigsberg said.

"The egregious conduct of the accused to vilify [Grant] in order to retain her illegal custody of the children, is one of the most seriously troubling aspects of this case. In so doing, she has caused Scott Grant and the children immeasurable, perhaps irretrievable harm. She has also attacked the Canadian system of justice so essential to the stability of our society."

Grant said outside court that he wasn't angry at his ex-wife and didn't want to see her spend another day in jail. Rather, she needs psychiatric help, he said.

"I would hope that she realizes that she needs help, and that she gets it."

But he also said he fears his children will be abducted again, noting that their mother only apologized on the last day of the sentencing hearing. He said he doesn't believe her, noting she has now filed civil claims against him for custody of the children.

"You mark my words. When she gets out of jail, the kids will be gone to France again," he warned.

As a precaution, Grant placed his children on a no-fly list with the RCMP and the Hague Convention on civil aspects of international child abduction. He also provided the names of at least nine people with whom his children are not allowed to travel -- mostly Gettliffe-Grant's family. But also added was the name of France's consul-general in Vancouver, Luc Serot Almeras, who Grant said has been at every court hearing as a government representative for his ex-wife.

He said he isn't sure his children hate him, but they do not yet trust him and it will take perhaps years to rebuild the relationship he once had. He said he still encourages the children to visit their mother in jail.

Continue reading "'Brainwashing' mother gets 16 months for abducting kids"

Posted by Perry at 02:16 PM

Nathalie Gettliffe condamnée à seize mois de prison

LE MONDE | 05.12.06

http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/
0,1-0@2-3226,36-842055@51-842272,0.html

La française Nathalie Gettliffe a été condamnée, lundi 4 décembre, par la justice canadienne, à seize mois de prison et trois ans de mise à l'épreuve pour l'enlèvement, en 2001, des deux enfants nés de son mariage avec le Canadien Scott Grant. Arrêtée en avril à Vancouver, Mme Gettliffe, qui a accouché en prison, devrait demander à purger le reste de sa peine en France.

Selon la juge canadienne, Marvyn Koenigsberg, la "sévérité" de la décision est liée à la gravité de cette affaire, l'une des plus "tragiques" à laquelle elle dit avoir été confrontée. Selon elle, Mme Gettliffe, qui affirme avoir voulu soustraire ses enfants à l'Eglise internationale du Christ, dont M. Grant est un adepte, a fait d'eux et de leur père des "victimes", leur causant des "dégâts incalculables et peut-être irrattrapables" qui les marqueront peut-être "pour le reste de leur vie". "La contrevenante a intentionnellement et sans excuses juridiques valables privé les enfants et leur père de leur (...) droit de partager leur vie au quotidien."

M. Grant, le père de ces enfants âgés de 11 et 12 ans, a dit sa tristesse de voir son ex-femme en prison et indiqué qu'elle avait besoin "d'aide psychologique". "Si mes enfants sortent vivants de cela, ce sera un miracle, ils sont déchirés", a-t-il conclu. En 2004, le tribunal de Privas et la cour d'appel de Nîmes avait ordonné le retour des enfants au Canada, mais Mme Gettliffe n'avait pas exécuté ces décisions.

Anne Chemin

Posted by Perry at 02:13 PM

December 04, 2006

French woman who snatched kids from their B.C. dad gets six month jail term

http://www.news1130.com/news/
national/article.jsp?content=n120453A

December 4, 2006

VANCOUVER (CP) - A French mother who abducted her two children from their B.C. father has been sentenced to 16 months in jail, minus the 10 months she's already served.

Nathalie Gettliffe was also given three years probation by a B.C. Supreme Court justice.

Gettliffe took her son and daughter from their father, Scott Grant, in 2001 and spirited them away to France.

She was arrested in April when she returned to Vancouver to defend a thesis at the University of B.C., and the children were handed back to Grant in July.

In a victim impact statement before sentencing, Grant told the court Gettliffe had poisoned his kids against him, telling them among things that he was a member of a cult.

Gettliffe apologized to her children and Grant in court on Friday.

Posted by Perry at 02:54 PM

Condamnée à 16 mois, Nathalie Gettliffe restera encore six mois en prison

La Croix
http://www.la-croix.com/afp.static/
pages/061204191407.ufj4qvkm.htm

04/12/2006

VANCOUVER (AFP)

La Française Nathalie Gettliffe a été condamnée lundi par une juge de Colombie-Britannique (ouest) à une peine de 16 mois et doit rester encore six mois en prison pour l'enlèvement des deux enfants nés de son mariage avec le Canadien Scott Grant.

La juge Marvyn Koenigsberg a condamné Mme Gettliffe, 35 ans, à 16 mois de prison et à trois ans de mise à l'épreuve.

La juge a crédité Mme Gettliffe de 10 mois pour le temps qu'elle a déjà passé en prison, ce qui fait qu'il lui reste six mois à purger.

Mme Gettliffe, qui a la double nationalité franco-canadienne, avait été arrêtée en avril dernier à Vancouver (ouest) à son retour au Canada. Elle avait quitté ce pays pour la France en 2001 avec les deux enfants de son mariage avec le Canadien Scott Grant, en contravention d'une décision de justice, un délit passible de 10 ans de prison.

Mme Gettliffe, qui était enceinte de son quatrième enfant lors de son arrestation, avait plaidé coupable début novembre après que la justice canadienne eut refusé à deux reprises de la remettre en liberté sous caution.

Lors d'une audience, vendredi, l'accusation avait requis 2 ans de prison, moins 10 mois pour le temps déjà passé par Mme Gettliffe en prison, et trois ans de mise à l'épreuve.

Son avocat Me Richard Fowler avait de son côté demandé que la peine n'excède pas 16 à 18 mois, affirmant que le délit, même grave, n'était pas prémédité.

Posted by Perry at 02:48 PM

Kids turned against him, father says

Difficult to craft sentence for mother who took children to France, says judge

Globe and Mail

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
servlet/story/LAC.20061202.BCGETTLIFFE02/
TPStory/National

02/12/06

TERRI THEODORE

Canadian Press

VANCOUVER -- The father of two children abducted by his ex-wife to France said yesterday that his son and daughter were angry, mistrustful and accused him of jailing their mother.

In a victim impact statement at Nathalie Gettliffe's sentencing hearing, Scott Grant said that five years ago he had a healthy, close and fun relationship with Maximilien, 12, and 11-year-old Josephine.

He said he dreamed many nights of a reunion where his children would rush into his arms for a hug.

Instead "we needed a translator, as they had lost their English," he said.
"When I met them, I met with angry stares and questions like 'why did you put mommy in jail, why do you hate us, why do you belong to a cult?' "

Ms. Gettliffe, who was born in France, pleaded guilty this year to abducting the children in 2001 and stealing them away to France.

Madam Justice Marvyn Koenigsberg told defence lawyer Richard Fowler she will have real difficulty crafting a sentence for Ms. Gettliffe.

"There appears to be no insight, acknowledgment of the harm she's done to these children," she said.

"The greatest harm to the children isn't the five years they spent in France. It's that they hate their father."

Mr. Fowler said "ultimately that will affect Nathalie Gettliffe when they learn the truth."

Outside the court, Mr. Grant said there's no doubt his relationship was poisoned while they were in France.

"They were absolutely angry," he said.

"Through the translator I explained to them I don't belong to a cult, I don't give all my money to them. If I give my money to anybody it's lawyers."

Mr. Grant, a financial planner, told the court he spent about $500,000 in legal and other costs getting his children back.

Ironically, he said, it wasn't his alleged violence or cult participation that set off Ms. Gettliffe's divorce proceedings against him.

"Her initial reason for divorce was because I was boring," he chuckled.

Crown prosecutor Gail Dickson told the court Ms. Gettliffe should spend two years in jail and another three years on probation.

After she pleaded guilty, a French TV station aired an interview with her in which she said her ex-husband was a brute who was involved in a zealous religious cult and she would abduct her children again.

Ms. Dickson told the court Ms. Gettliffe cast herself in the role of victim and intentionally made false claims to elicit the help of others to carry on with the abduction.

"It very much aggravates the damage she's done to Scott Grant and her children," she said.

Mr. Grant doesn't believe jail will work for his ex-wife.

"I don't think she'll be a better person or a different person," he said.

"I think if she could get some help, it would go a long way. She's a brilliant woman. She could do a lot of good things if she wanted to," he said of Ms. Gettliffe, who is running for the presidency of France.

Mr. Grant said his relationship with his children is getting easier.

Max is playing hockey and Josephine was busy yesterday preparing crafts for a sale next weekend.

Max's birthday is at the end of December, but Mr. Grant said his son was worried his friends wouldn't be able to come to a party over the winter school break.

"We had a pre-birthday party," he said.

When Mr. Grant gave his son a gift, Max expressed surprise.

His voice cracked with emotion as he explained "I told him, 'Well, I've missed a lot of your birthdays.' "

Posted by Perry at 02:08 PM

Grant accuse son ex-femme d'avoir empoisonné sa relation avec ses enfants

Le 02 décembre 2006

TQS.ca
http://www.tqs.ca/infos/2006/12/N120171AU.php

VANCOUVER (PC) - Nathalie Gettlife, qui a reconnu sa culpabilité à des accusations de kidnapping a pleuré et s'est dite désolée au cours au cours des plaidoiries sur sentence, vendredi.

"Je veux seulement m'excuser auprès des enfants et m'excuser auprès de (son ancien conjoint) Scott, a déclaré Gentliffe au tribunal. J'assume l'entière responsabilité de mes gestes.

Cette Française avait enlevé ses deux enfants, Maximilien et Joséphine, qui avait été confié à la garde de leur père, par un tribunal canadien. "Je veux quitter la prison le plus tôt possible pour entreprendre une meilleure relation avec mes enfants et leur père", a-t-elle ajouté.

Les représentations sur sentence ont pris fin, vendredi. La juge Marvyn Koenigsberg doit rendre sa décision lundi.

Plus tôt, l'ancien mari de Gettliffe, Scott Grant, avait expliqué au tribunal que les agissements de son ancienne femme avaient empoisonné sa relation avec ses enfants.

M. Grant livrait à la cour sa "déclaration de la victime". Il a affirmé que ses enfants sont en colère et méfiants, avant d'ajouter qu'il y a cinq ans, avant que Maximilien et Joséphine ne soient kidnappés et amenés en France par Gettliffe, il avait avec eux une relation étroite et aimante.

Il a dit avoir fréquemment rêvé d'une réunion pendant laquelle ils se précipiteraient dans ses bras. Ils ont plutôt eu besoin d'un interprète, puisque les enfants ne parlaient plus anglais.

"Quand je les ai retrouvés, j'ai été accueilli avec de la colère et des questions comme 'pourquoi as-tu mis maman en prison, pourquoi est-ce que tu nous détestes, pourquoi est-ce que tu appartiens à une secte"', a-t-il déclaré.

Son avocate, Gail Dickson, a pour sa part expliqué au tribunal que Gettliffe a grandement compliqué les choses en adoptant le rôle de la victime et en faisant de son ancien mari une brute.

Gettliffe a déjà reconnu sa culpabilité à des accusations d'enlèvement. Me Dickson a demandé au tribunal une peine de deux ans d'emprisonnement en plus de deux années de probation.

La juge Marvyn Koenigsberg a expliqué à l'avocat de Gettliffe, Richard Fowler, qu'elle aura beaucoup de difficulté à déterminer la sentence de sa cliente.

"Elle (Gettliffe) ne semble pas réaliser le tort qu'elle a causé à ces enfants, a-t-elle dit. Le plus grand tort ne sont pas ces cinq années qu'ils ont passés en France. C'est qu'ils détestent leur père."

Pour sa part, Me Fowler a déclaré que "ultimement, cela aura un impact sur Nathalie Gettliffe quand ils (les enfants) apprendront la vérité".

M. Grant affirme avoir dépensé 500 000 $ pour récupérer la garde de ses enfants. Il affirme que sa relation avec eux s'améliore lentement. L'anniversaire de Max est à la fin décembre, mais l'enfant craignait que ses amis ne puissent assister à sa fête pendant les vacances de Noël.

"Nous avons donc organisé une fête d'anniversaire anticipée", a-t-il dit, avant de préciser que son fils a été surpris quand il lui a offert un cadeau.

"Je lui ai dit 'Eh bien, j'ai raté plusieurs de tes anniversaires", a expliqué M. Grant, sa voix étreinte par l'émotion.

Posted by Perry at 01:46 PM

December 02, 2006

Church of the Sub-Genius Custody Dispute

Judge Punch disregarded the law

The Journal-Register
Medina, New York

http://www.journal-register.com/
siteSearch/apstorysection/
local_story_334151640.html

By Thom Jennings

Because of the sensitive nature of family court cases the general public rarely gets a chance to see what really goes on inside the courtroom.

In some ways that is a good thing in that it protects the privacy of the litigants, at least in theory. The downside is that when judges are not held accountable they may say and do things that are not necessarily in the best interests of the parties involved, especially the children.

Thanks to the Internet and a controversial ruling right her in Orleans County we have been given a tremendous opportunity, access to a complete transcript of a family court proceeding.

The case involves an Orleans County resident and the mother of his child who is remarried and lives out of state. The basics are as follows, mother has custody of the young child, she puts the kid on a plane and sends him to New York for scheduled visitation with the father in December of 2005.

After the child arrives here, the father goes to Judge James Punch, Orleans County’s all purpose judge with a mood for every occasion, and he requests full custody of the child because he can provide a safer and morally sound environment in his trailer with his live-in girlfriend. Judge Punch decides that he will grant the request, gives dad temporary sole custody, and in turn mom hops a plane to New York to appear at a hearing to determine who the child will live with.

This is where things get a little strange.

It turns out that mom, Rachel Bevilacqua, is somehow associated with a group that is sometimes called a “for-profit” church and at other times called a church parody or performance group, but its proper name is the Church of the Sub-Genius.

To be quite honest, this Sub-Genius thing is by most people’s standards a bit on the offensive side — OK maybe a little more than a bit. If you read the transcripts of the February, 3, 2006 hearing, which are available on the Internet, you get the sense that Judge Punch is not too fond of their practices either. You may even say that he seemed more concerned with the Church of the Sub-Genius than he was about the house of the child. To take it further, the line of questioning he permitted would almost suggest that he is less than a genius, or at the very least he has been on the bench way to long.

The case has been largely ignored by the major media — as far as I can tell only WROC-TV out of Rochester did a brief piece which is still available for viewing on their Web site. Nonetheless it has found a receptive audience on the Internet mainly via blogs. A savvy Googler should have little trouble finding the details albeit mostly presented from the mother’s side.

There are a lot more things very disturbing about this case, not the least of which is the complete disregard that Judge Punch showed for the law. Inasmuch as I think men are drastically shortchanged when it come to custody proceedings in this case there was no compelling reason evident to warrant a child being arbitrarily taken from its custodial parent before she had the chance to answer formal charges, that should be a matter of last resort and only if there is an imminent danger.

The other thing a person who takes the time to read through the transcripts will notice is the hypocrisy displayed in the courtroom. The judge questions the morality of the mother who is married and yet there is no mention of the fact that the father is not. There is also a line of questioning that leads a person to believe that the mother and stepfather, both college graduates, were not qualified to home school a 10-year-old child. Where are the home school advocates on this one?

In the end the one person everyone seems to forget about is the child. There was expert testimony that the child was having some emotional problems. Gee, I wonder if that could be related to the fact that his parents live in different parts of the country?

Judge Punch, in what could certainly be perceived as an admission of his mishandling of the custody matter, removed himself from the case. The actual custody trial took place in Batavia a little over a month ago. When I called the mothers attorney he informed me that as of Monday their still was not a final ruling.

One final note, if you know anyone who is considering letting a court decide the fate of their children give them a copy of the transcript, and remind them that the money spent on lawyers would have paid for the kid’s college education.

Thom Jennings lives in Albion. For comments, write to reganm@gnnewspaper.com.

Posted by Perry at 03:33 PM

December 01, 2006

Abductor told French television she'd do it again

Two-year jail term sought for woman who fled to France with children

01/12/06

Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/
story/LAC.20061201.BCGETLIFFE01/TPStory/National

WENDY COX

Canadian Press

VANCOUVER -- A woman who fled to France with her two children and accused their father of being a brute involved in a zealous religious cult told a French television station she'd do the same again, a Crown prosecutor said yesterday.

On Nov. 6, three days after Nathalie Gettliffe pleaded guilty to abducting her children against court orders, a French television station aired a program that included a telephone interview with Ms. Gettliffe from her jail cell outside Vancouver.

Crown lawyer Gail Dickson told a sentencing hearing Ms. Gettliffe was asked whether she'd do it again.

"Given the circumstances, yes, yes, that's for sure . . . it was either I flee or face death."
Ms. Dickson said the interview was conducted before Nov. 6 but it's unclear when it was taped.

The Crown has told court Ms. Gettliffe should be sent to prison for two years and, afterward, spend three years on probation with conditions.

Ms. Dickson said the French-born woman has shown no regard for the best interests of her children -- Maximilien, 12, and 11-year-old Joséphine -- who were spirited off to France in September of 2001. Their father, Scott Grant, wasn't able to bring them home until this past July 9.

"It's all about her and what's best for her," Ms. Dickson said.

But Mr. Grant said outside court he takes no pleasure in the idea of his ex-wife spending time in jail.

He said he is steadily rebuilding his relationship with his children, but noted they also need their mother. As well, he said his former wife has two children with her current partner and they also need her.

"In a perfect world, it would be nice if she could just go home and raise her children and we could all say we're sorry," he said.

But he added, "I think it's important that other people don't think that they can do the same thing and deprive their spouse of five years of their child's life and have no consequences to it."

The case attracted wide attention, particularly in France where Ms. Gettliffe has said she plans to run for the presidency. Ms. Gettliffe drew more attention after her partner told French media she was being forced to live in appalling prison conditions in Canada while she awaited the birth of their son, who was born in September.

In an agreed statement of facts about the case, Ms. Dickson told court Ms. Gettliffe was given repeated opportunities to bring the children back to Canada.

Meanwhile, Mr. Grant attempted to do everything he could to get his children back, even persuading a judge to revoke an arrest warrant against his former wife because it was an impediment to reuniting the family, Ms. Dickson said.

But Ms. Gettliffe refused to comply with court orders or with recommendations from judges and psychologists.

In 2002, a psychiatrist conducted an assessment of Mr. Grant and concluded he was fully capable of having a relationship with his children and recommended the children be returned to Canada.

The French court sided with Mr. Grant but Ms. Gettliffe refused.

She continued to maintain that Mr. Grant was involved in a religious cult.

Meanwhile, the French village where she lived rallied around her cause and eventually she collected 3,000 names on a petition saying she shouldn't be forced to return the children because of her husband's religious affiliations.

But Ms. Dickson told court Mr. Grant's religion was never an issue before Ms. Gettliffe left for France.

After the children left for France, Ms. Dickson said, Mr. Grant and his ex-wife were in periodic contact, but he was able to see the children only four times between 2001 and 2006 when he brought them home.

Authorities knew the time for Ms. Gettliffe to defend a thesis at the University of British Columbia was running out and Mr. Grant monitored the university's website.

In April of 2006, he told authorities Ms. Gettliffe would be returning to defend the thesis. She was arrested as she arrived in Vancouver.

A judge said at the time there was a "golden opportunity" to come up with a plan to bring the children back to Canada and build a relationship with both parents, but Ms. Gettliffe continued to refuse.

In June, Mr. Grant went to France and met with French authorities and his former mother-in-law. Joséphine Gettliffe said she wouldn't turn over the children, saying instead they were "far, far away."

French police eventually found the children with Ms. Gettliffe's relatives in the French Alps. The relatives were arrested and the children were escorted to Mr. Grant and to the airport.

Posted by Perry at 03:10 PM

Nathalie Gettlife : 2 ans de prisons requis

(AP)

http://permanent.nouvelobs.com/
etranger/20061201.OBS1043.html

01.12.06

Dans son réquisitoire, le parquet canadien a souligné que Nathalie Gettliffe, jugée pour l'enlèvement de ses deux enfants, semblait prête à récidiver.

L 'accusation a requis jeudi 30 novembre deux ans d'emprisonnement à l'encontre de Nathalie Gettliffe, cette Française accusée d'avoir enlevé ses enfants pour les ramener dans l'Hexagone.
Une éventuelle condamnation à deux ans de prison serait toutefois réduite de dix mois, pour prendre en compte le temps que la jeune femme a déjà passé derrière les barreaux.
La procureure Gail Dickson a également requis trois années de probation assorties de conditions, expliquant que Nathalie Gettliffe n'avait aucunement tenu compte des meilleurs intérêts de ses enfants, Maximilien, âgé de 12 ans, et sa sœur de 11 ans, Joséphine.

Prête à récidiver

Me Dickson a estimé que Nathalie Gettliffe semblait prête à récidiver. Elle a fait état d'une entrevue accordée par Nathalie Gettliffe à la télévision française, diffusée le 6 novembre et dans laquelle on lui demandait si elle serait prête à recommencer.
"Compte tenu des circonstances, oui, oui, c'est certain (...), aurait répondu Nathalie Gettliffe. J'avais le choix entre fuir et mourir."
Elle lui reproche d'avoir créé l'émoi général en France en vilipendant son ex-mari et en affirmant que ce dernier appartenait à une secte religieuse.

La procureure a expliqué que Nathalie Gettliffe appartenait comme le père de ses enfants à l'église du Christ, et que ce n'est que plus tard qu'elle a qualifié le mouvement de "secte" dont les enfants devaient être protégés.
En début de mois, Nathalie Gettliffe a plaidé coupable de deux chefs d'inculpation pour enlèvement.

Refus de se plier aux ordres

Le procureure Gail Dickson a également reproché à la Française de d'avoir refusé à plusieurs reprises de se plier aux ordres du tribunal ou de respecter les avis d'experts. En juin 2002, un psychologue a conclu que Scott Grant était apte à avoir une relation avec ses enfants et qu'ils devraient rentrer au Canada. Nathalie Gettliffe avait refusé de se conformer à l'avis du tribunal français qui avait donné raison à Scott Grant.

Entre 2001 et 2006, a précisé Me Gail Dickson, Nathalie Gettliffe et Scott Grant n'ont eu que des contacts sporadiques. Scott Grant a pu rencontrer ses enfants à quatre reprises pendant cette période, mais trois de ces visites n'ont duré que quelques heures.
Nathalie Gettliffe est détenue au Canada depuis le 11 avril pour l'enlèvement de ses deux enfants.

Elle a donné naissance le 26 septembre à son troisième enfant Martin.
Arrêtée en avril alors qu'elle arrivait au Canada dans le cadre, selon elle, d'une médiation internationale avec son ex-mari, elle a toujours soutenu qu'elle avait ramené ses enfants en France en 2001 pour les soustraire à l'influence de leur père canadien, Scott Grant, un fidèle de l'Eglise internationale du Christ, considérée comme une secte en France mais pas au Canada.

Posted by Perry at 03:07 PM

November 24, 2006

Sex Cult Custody Battle Will Remain Open To Media

SAN DIEGO, CA

http://www.kfmb.com/stories/story.70904.html

11-20-06

The media will be allowed to report on a custody battle over a four-year-old boy who is allegedly being raised in an Escondido sex cult.

The boy's mother, Angie Staughton, had asked the judge to close the courtroom to the public out of privacy concerns for her son Kyle.

The boy's father claims his ex-wife is raising the boy in a free-love cult that puts the child at risk, but the mother claims her organization, called The Family International, is just a Christian missionary group.

The judge ruled Monday that the case will remain open.

A site inspection report on the Escondido commune where the boy lives will be filed in several weeks.

Posted by Perry at 05:21 PM

November 15, 2006

Judge gives abductor, Nathalie Gettliffe, stern rebuke

Globe and Mail

15/11/06

ROD MICKLEBURGH

With a report from Canadian Press

VANCOUVER -- The woman at the heart of a high-profile child custody tussle that has riveted her native France for the past year was given a judicial tongue-lashing in B.C. Supreme Court yesterday.

Madam Justice Nicole Garson accused Nathalie Gettliffe of appearing "completely without insight as to any potential damage such a custody battle could have on her [two] children."

The judge went on to further accuse Ms. Gettliffe, 29, of denying the children "permission to love their father" by taking them to France in defiance of a B.C. court order and then vilifying him.

"This order is designed to redress to the extent possible that harm," Judge Garson said, as she ordered that Ms. Gettliffe's ex-husband, Surrey financial planner Scott Grant, continue to have interim custody of 11-year old Josephine and 12-year old Maximilien.
Ms. Gettliffe was not present for the ruling. She remains in a Fraser Valley jail awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty this month to two counts of child abduction.

During her seven months in custody, the learned linguistics instructor has successfully defended her PhD thesis to a panel of academics and has given birth to a boy.

In France, meanwhile, there has been a media-generated wave of sympathy for Ms. Gettliffe, with charges that Mr. Grant belongs to a cult-like church and that she is being mistreated by Canadian authorities in conditions described by the French man with whom she lives as "worse than Guantanamo Bay."

Ms. Gettliffe has added to the circus-like frenzy surrounding the case by announcing her intention to run for the presidency of France in 2007.

Nonetheless, Judge Garson increased the children's access to their imprisoned mother by mandating seven two-hour visits with her in the prison cafeteria between now and Jan. 21.

At the same time, however, she prohibited Ms. Gettliffe from making "any adverse comments" to the children about Mr. Grant or his church.

The judge underscored the ban by ordering a "neutral French-speaking supervisor" to sit in on the children's time with their mother.

Josephine and Maximilien miss their mother, Judge Garson said, which is not surprising considering how little time they have spent with Mr. Grant since Ms. Gettliffe took them to France.

The roof fell in on her attempt to keep the children when Ms. Gettliffe returned to Vancouver in April for her oral PhD defence. She was arrested on abduction charges and has been in jail since.

Mr. Grant regained custody months later, after French gendarmes tracked the youngsters to an alpine village where they were staying with one of Ms. Gettliffe's cousins.

Life, since then, has been difficult for both Mr. Grant and the children, Judge Garson said.

"The children have been rude and angry at times. . . . I infer from the evidence that they have been told over the past five years that [Mr. Grant] was not a suitable father."

The judge also referred to the ongoing public campaign waged against Mr. Grant in France by Ms. Gettliffe and her supporters to justify her decision to defy Canadian courts.

"She has exposed her children to [that] campaign," Judge Garson said, and they must now be given time to re-establish a relationship with their father "without interference."

"It cannot be nurtured if [Ms.] Miss Gettliffe continues her campaign of vilifying Mr. Grant to the children."

Outside the court, Ms. Gettliffe's lawyer, Vincent Pigeon, said he was not dissatisfied with the judge's ruling, noting that his client will now have more visits with her children and they are restricted to attending Mr. Grant's Vancouver Church of Christ no more than once a week.

"We are ahead of where we were last week," Mr. Pigeon said. He added that a final decision has yet to be made on permanent custody of the children.

"They are now 11 and nearly 13. They are getting close to the age where the laws in this country say the courts must listen very closely to what they have to say."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
servlet/story/LAC.20061115.
BCGETTLIFFE08/TPStory/National

Posted by Perry at 03:18 PM

Nathalie Gettliffe obtient plus de droits de visite pour ses enfants

Presse Canadienne

Le mardi 14 novembre 2006

Le Soleil

Vancouver

Nathalie Gettliffe, une Française qui avait enlevé ses enfants illégalement au Canada pour les ramener en France, a eu droit à des propos cinglants de la part d'une juge de la Cour suprême de Colombie-Britannique, mardi.

La juge Nicole Garson a décidé que l'ex-mari de Nathalie Gettliffe, le Canadien Scott Grant, conservera pour l'instant la garde pleine et entière des petits, jusqu'à ce qu'une entente permanente soit conclue au tribunal. Entre-temps, la mère pourra voir ses deux enfants plus fréquemment, soit deux fois par mois. Elle demandait de pouvoir les voir deux fois par semaine.

La juge n'a pas mâché ses mots au sujet de la conduite de Nathalie Gettliffe ces cinq dernières années. «Dans ce cas, Mme Gettliffe a refusé aux enfants la permission d'aimer leur père», a déclaré la juge Garson. «Mme Gettliffe a monté une campagne publique pour justifier sa décision de défier les ordonnances des tribunaux canadiens et français (...) Elle a exposé ses enfants à cette campagne.»

Selon la juge, la mère n'a absolument pas tenu compte des dommages potentiels qu'une telle bataille pour la garde pourrait avoir sur ses enfants. Cette ordonnance, ajoutait la juge, vise à corriger, dans la mesure du possible, les dommages causés.

Cette affaire avait débuté par l'enlèvement des enfants à Vancouver en 2001.

La mère a plaidé coupable sous deux chefs d'accusation d'enlèvement, au tout début de son procès. Elle a notamment soutenu qu'elle avait voulu soustraire ses enfants à l'influence du père, alléguant que celui-ci était membre d'une église considérée en France comme une secte. Mais selon la juge, Gettliffe n'avait jamais parlé en mal de l'église avant d'arriver en France.

Elle est incarcérée depuis avril dans un pénitencier de la vallée du Fraser, où elle a accouché d'un enfant né d'une nouvelle union avec un homme qui vivait avec elle en France.

Gettliffe avait été arrêtée à l'aéroport de Vancouver, à son retour au Canada pour soutenir sa thèse à l'Université de Colombie-Britannique. Elle l'a finalement soutenue de la prison.

Les deux enfants vivent maintenant avec leur père à Surrey, en Colombie-Britannique. Mais ils ne sont «pas aussi affectueux» avec lui qu'avant leur enlèvement, a dit la juge.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/
article/20061114/CPMONDE/
61114235/5165/CPACTUALITES

Posted by Perry at 03:11 PM

November 10, 2006

B.C. judge rejects Crown's psych request in kidnapping case

Globe and Mail

10/11/06

Canadian Press

Vancouver — A B.C. Supreme Court judge has rejected the Crown's request for a psychiatric assessment of a French woman convicted of abducting her two kids.

Justice Marvyn Koenigsberg says there is no evidence to justify such an exam, and calls it a “profound invasion of a person's privacy.”

Prosecutors wanted the assessment before sentencing to determine whether Nathalie Gettliffe posed a risk of kidnapping the children again.

She took her two children to France from Canada in 2001, triggering a five-year legal fight by the Vancouver father, Scott Grant, to bring them home.
The defence argued that irrational acts do not mean a person is mentally ill.

A date for a sentencing hearing has not been determined.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
servlet/story/RTGAM.20061110.wpsych1110/
BNStory/National/home

Posted by Perry at 04:22 PM

Pas d'évaluation psychiatrique pour Nathalie Gettliffe

Le vendredi 10 novembre 2006

Presse Canadienne

Vancouver

Une juge de la Cour suprême de Colombie-Britannique a rejeté, vendredi, la requête de la Couronne, qui souhaitait obtenir une évaluation psychiatrique en vue des plaidoiries avant sentence pour la Française Nathalie Gettliffe, qui a plaidé coupable d'avoir enlevé ses deux enfants.

Selon la juge Marvyn Koenigsberg, rien ne justifie une telle évaluation, qui constitue une «invasion profonde de la vie privée».

La Couronne souhaitait obtenir une telle évaluation afin de déterminer si Gettliffe pourrait enlever à nouveau ses deux enfants dont le père, un Canadien, a la garde.

Elle avait enlevé ses deux enfants en 2001 et était retournée en France avec eux, afin, dit-elle, de les soustraire à l'influence de leur père, Scott Grant, un membre d'une église considérée comme une secte en France. La saga judiciaire dure depuis cinq ans.

La date pour les plaidoiries avant sentence n'a pas été fixée.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/apps/
pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061110/
CPACTUALITES/61110082/1019/CPACTUALITES

Posted by Perry at 04:18 PM

November 09, 2006

Mental exam of abductor needed to protect children, Crown says

TERRI THEODORE
Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
servlet/story/LAC.20061110.BCGETTLIFFE10/
TPStory/National

10/11/06

Canadian Press

VANCOUVER -- A psychiatric assessment of a French woman who abducted her children is the only way to determine whether she will take her children again, a prosecutor said.

Crown lawyer Gail Dickson told B.C. Supreme Court that Nathalie Gettliffe's actions -- defying court orders, making extreme allegations against her children's father -- and her risk of reoffending back up the need for a psychiatric exam.

"There are grave concerns," Ms. Dickson told the judge as she outlined Ms. Gettliffe's actions since abducting her two children to France from Canada in 2001. "The purpose of this is to protect the children."

Ms. Gettliffe has already pleaded guilty to two counts of abducting her son and daughter. The assessment would take place before her sentencing, but she opposes a psychiatric review and her lawyer later told the court there's no basis for one.
"There's no evidence of suicidal tendencies, clinical depression or paranoia," Richard Fowler argued. "The Criminal Code does not empower psychiatric fishing trips."

Madam Justice Marvyn Koenigsberg said she will hand down her decision on the assessment today.

Ms. Dickson said that after taking the children, Ms. Gettliffe called their father, Scott Grant, and told him she had had enough of the court system -- unless he complied with her orders, he would never see the children again.

In a later fax, she told him that if he visited their village, she couldn't guarantee his security because its 1,100 residents were determined to lynch him. "She made extreme allegations against the children's father," Ms. Dickson said.

Even though it was rumoured in France that Mr. Grant was a member of a cult, courts there granted custody of the children, now 12 and 11, to their father. Ms. Gettliffe repeatedly defied the court orders.

"You need the assistance of a psychiatric assessment to determine what is driving this accused," Ms. Dickson said.

Ms. Dickson also noted that Ms. Gettliffe is a candidate for the French presidency, although Mr. Fowler said that's irrelevant.

"From my point of view, I'm not interested in running for the presidency of any country. I would think anybody who was prepared to put themselves in that position would be crazy, to use the vernacular," he said. But he said nothing should be read into the fact except that his client is a highly talented woman who speaks both French and English.

Mr. Fowler argued that there are specific grounds for the Crown to ask for a psychiatric assessment. He said there is no allegation that Ms. Gettliffe poses a danger or that she isn't fit to stand trial because of a mental disability.

"Acts of irrationality or acting stupidly, as determined by others, doesn't mean they're determined to be mentally ill," he said.

Ms. Gettliffe was pregnant when she returned to Canada in April to defend her thesis at the University of British Columbia. She delivered a boy while awaiting trial.

Mr. Fowler said she also successfully defended her thesis, but professors at the University of British Columbia had to travel to a Fraser Valley correctional centre to hear her arguments.

A lawyer for Ms. Gettliffe said in a custody hearing held Wednesday that Crown prosecutors want a two-year jail term.

Posted by Perry at 06:35 PM

Affaire Gettliffe: l'accusation demande une évaluation pyschiatrique/ Prosecutor Asks for Psychiatric Assessment in Custody Case

[The English translation that follows was performed by Google Language. It is not 100% accurate and is only included to assist researchers.]

Agence France-Presse
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/
20061109/CPACTUALITES/611091783/5024/CPDMINUTE

Le jeudi 09 novembre 2006

VANCOUVER (Canada)

L'accusation a demandé jeudi une évaluation psychiatrique de la Française Nathalie Gettliffe, emprisonnée au Canada pour l'enlèvement de deux de ses enfants, s'appuyant notamment sur une interview accordée par la jeune femme à une télévision française.

Au cours d'une audition jeudi devant une juge de la Cour suprême de Colombie-Britannique (ouest), la procureure Gail Dixon a demandé qu'une telle évaluation soit incluse dans le rapport sur lequel le juge se basera dans les prochaines semaines pour décider de sa sentence.

La défense, qui est opposée à une évaluation pyschiatrique, devait présenter ses arguments plus tard dans la journée.

Mme Gettliffe a plaidé coupable vendredi dernier, évitant ainsi son procès qui devait commencer le 20 novembre. Le juge avait alors demandé un rapport pour pouvoir fixer sa sentence. Une audience visant à entendre les arguments de l'accusation et de la défense sur la peine devant être infligée à la jeune femme est prévue fin novembre ou début décembre, mais sa date exacte n'a pas été fixée.

La procureure Dixon a déclaré qu'une évaluation psychiatrique de Mme Gettliffe était nécessaire "car ses allégations contre le père des enfants, sa manipulation apparente d'autres personnes et son refus répété de se conformer à des décisions de justice soulèvent de graves préoccupations". Elle a fait valoir qu'il s'agissait notamment d'évaluer les risques de récidive.

Mme Dixon a notamment évoqué une interview donnée par téléphone par Mme Gettliffe à une télévision française qu'elle n'a pas identifiée. Selon la procureure, Mme Gettlife avait dit qu'elle ferait la même chose si c'était à refaire, déclarant: "si je n'avais pas fui, c'était la mort pour moi ou pour les enfants. C'est tout ce que j'ai vu".

Mme Gettliffe est en prison depuis le 11 avril au Canada, pays qu'elle avait fui pour la France en 2001 avec les deux enfants de son mariage avec le Canadien Scott Grant.

Elle avait expliqué vouloir soustraire ses enfants à l'influence de leur père, membre de l'Eglise internationale du Christ, considérée comme un mouvement sectaire par un rapport parlementaire français, mais légale au Canada.

Prosecutor Requests Psychiatric Evaluation in Gettliffe Sentencing

The charge took Thursday a psychiatric evaluation of the Frenchwoman Nathalie Gettliffe, imprisoned in Canada for the removal of two of his/her children, being based in particular on an interview granted by the young woman to a French television. During a hearing Thursday in front of a judge of the supreme Court of Colombia-British (western), the prosecutor Gail Dixon required that such an evaluation be included in the report/ratio on which the judge will base himself in the next weeks to decide his sentence. The defense, which is opposed to a pyschiatric evaluation, was to present its arguments later in the course of the day. Mrs. Gettliffe pled guilty last Friday, thus avoiding her trial which was to begin on November 20. The judge had then asked for a report/ratio to be able to fix his sentence. An audience aiming at hearing the arguments of the charge and defense on the sorrow having to be inflicted with the young woman is envisaged at the end of November or at the beginning of December, but its exact date was not fixed. The procureure Dixon declared that a psychiatric evaluation of Mrs. Gettliffe was necessary “because its allegations against the father of the children, its apparent handling of other people and its refusal repeated to conform to decisions of court raises serious concerns”. It made the point that it was in particular a question of evaluating the risks of repetition. Mrs. Dixon in particular evoked an interview given by telephone by Mrs. Gettliffe to a French television which it did not identify. According to procureure, Mrs. Gettlife had said that it would make the same thing if were to be remade, informant: “if I had not fled, it was death for me or the children. It is all that I saw”. Mrs. Gettliffe is in prison since April 11 in Canada, country which it had fled for France in 2001 with the two children of its marriage with the Canadian Scott Grant. She had explained to want to withdraw her children from the influence of their father, member of the international Church of the Christ, considered as a sectarian movement by a parliamentary, but legal French report/ratio in Canada.

Posted by Perry at 06:26 PM

November 05, 2006

Nathalie Gettliffe a plaidé coupable de l'enlèvement de ses deux enfants/ Mother Pleads Guilty in Custody Case

[The English translation that follows was performed by Google Language. It is not 100% accurate and is only included to assist researchers.]

TQS.ca
http://www.tqs.ca/infos/2006/11/N110333AU.php

Le 04 novembre 2006

VANCOUVER (PC) - Nathalie Gettliffe, une Française accusée devant la justice canadienne d'avoir enlevé ses deux enfants dans le but de les soustraire à l'influence religieuse de leur père, a plaidé coupable, vendredi à Vancouver.

"C'est d'abord l'épuisement physique qui a mené Nathalie à plaider coupable, a expliqué son compagnon actuel, Francis Gruzelle, sur les ondes de la chaîne de télévision France-2. Et aussi la volonté peut-être de sécuriser son enfant. Elle a hâte de sortir de prison, de vivre des nuits normales, d'arrêter de vivre dans le stress, la peur pour le bébé."

"C'est vrai que l'on est un peu amère parce qu'elle a subi tellement d'injustice, mais c'est la meilleure façon pour obtenir sa libération avec une relative certitude à bref délai", a ajouté Me Dominique Chambon l'avocat de la Française, interrogé sur France-2.

Mais cette histoire est loin d'être terminée pour autant. Après son combat juridique - qu'elle a perdu au profit de son ex-mari - pour la garde légale de ses deux premiers enfants, un enlèvement en France, des procédures juridiques dans les deux pays, un retour peu avisé à Vancouver et son arrestation immédiate, elle prétend avoir été agressée en prison, où elle a accouché de son troisième enfant, et entend publier un livre avec son conjoint qui sera intitulé "L'enfer des prisons canadiennes".

Gettliffe avait été arrêtée dès son retour au Canada pour défendre sa thèse de doctorat à l'Université de Colombie-Britannique.

La Couronne a demandé vendredi une évaluation psychiatrique de la prévenue en vue des plaidoyers avant la sentence. Le juge Marvyn Koenigsberg entendra les plaidoiries des avocats à ce sujet jeudi prochain.

Gettliffe a toujours soutenu qu'elle avait ramené ses enfants en France en 2001 pour les soustraire à l'influence religieuse de leur père canadien, Scott Grant, un fidèle de l'Eglise internationale du Christ, considérée comme une secte en France mais pas au Canada.

Selon M. Grant, son ex-femme n'a jamais parlé d'éventuels problèmes que lui posait sa religion avant de s'enfuir en France avec les enfants.

"Avant qu'elle ne parte, elle n'a jamais dit quoi que ce soit de négatif sur l'Église internationale du Christ, a-t-il déclaré. C'est seulement une fois rendue en France qu'elle s'est mise à faire ces déclarations."

En juillet, les autorités françaises renvoyaient au Canada les deux enfants du couple séparé, un garçon de 11 ans et une fille de 12 ans. Le père avait déjà obtenu d'un tribunal canadien la garde pleine et entière des deux enfants.

Une cause civile doit toujours être entendue au sujet de la garde des enfants et M. Grant ne sait pas comment toute cette histoire va se terminer.

"Cette femme est la mère de mes enfants et ils ont droit de la visiter. Mais ça dépendra de son comportement, qui fut pour le moins bizarre dernièrement. Elle les a enlevés."

Mother Pleads Guilty in Custody Case

Nathalie Gettliffe, a Frenchwoman shown in front of Canadian justice to have removed her two children with an aim of withdrawing them from the religious influence of their father, pled guilty, Friday in Vancouver. “It is initially the physical exhaustion which carried out Nathalie to be pled guilty, explained his/her current companion, Francis Gruzelle, on the waves of the chain of television France-2. And also will to perhaps make safe his/her child. It is in a hurry to leave prison, of living normal nights, stopping living in the stress, the fear for the baby.” “It is true that one is a little bitter because it underwent injustice so much, but it is the best way to obtain its release with a relative certainty in the near future”, added to Me Domenica Chambon the lawyer of the Frenchwoman, questioned on France-2. But this history is far from being finished for as much. After its legal combat - that it lost with the profit of its ex-husband - for the legal guard of her the first two children, a removal in France, procedures legal in the two countries, a return not very advised in Vancouver and its immediate arrest, it claims to be attacked in prison, where it was confined of its third child, and intends to publish a book with its spouse who will be entitled “the hell of the Canadian prisons”. Gettliffe had been stopped as of its return to Canada to defend its thesis of doctorate at the University of Colombia-British. The Crown took Friday a psychiatric evaluation of prevented for the pleas before the sentence. Judge Marvyn Koenigsberg will hear the pleadings of lawyers on this subject next Thursday. Gettliffe always supported that it had brought back her children to France in 2001 to withdraw them from the religious influence of their Canadian father, Scott Grant, faithful of the international Church of the Christ, considered as a sect in France but not in Canada. According to Mr. Grant, its ex-wife spoken forever about possible problems which its religion posed to him before fleeing in France with the children. “Before it does not leave, it forever known as anything of negative on the international Church of Christ, it declared. It is only once returned to France that it started to make these statements.” In July, the French authorities returned to Canada the two children of the separated couple, a 11 year old boy and a 12 year old girl. The father had already obtained from a Canadian court the guard full and whole of the two children. A civil cause must always be heard about the guard of the children and Mr. Grant does not know how all this history will finish. “This woman is the mother of my children and they have right to visit it. But that will depend on its behavior, which was at the very least odd lately. It removed them.”

Posted by Perry at 04:04 PM

November 03, 2006

Judge Orders Site Inspection Of Sex Cult

CBS News http://www.kfmb.com/features/special_assignment/story.php?id=64999

September 30, 2006

A San Diego judge has ordered a site inspection of an Escondido commune that some say is home to a sex cult. The order comes as part of a bitter custody battle over a four-year-old boy being raised in the religious sect known as The Family.

Four-year-old Kyle Staughton is a little boy caught in the middle of a bitter divorce and custody battle. His mother, 28-year-old Angie Staughton is a member of a notorious religious sect called The Family that advocates open sexuality as an expression of God’s love. Kyle’s father calls the group a sex cult.

“Yeah, they sleep around a lot,” Paul Staughton said.

Paul Staughton, 32, was born and raised in The Family. He left the group two years ago because he doesn’t believe that loving Jesus has anything to do with sex.

“They believe that Jesus would like it very much that you would include him in the sex act that you were having,” he said.

Formerly called The Children of God, members of The Family live in communes like the one on Calmin Drive in Fallbrook. The group has close ties to two local charities – The Family Care Foundation in Dulzura, and Activated Ministries in Escondido.

Angie and her son Kyle live in a family compound on Alps Way northeast of Escondido with 25 other members of the sect, according to court records.

“You gotta understand when you’ve got 25 to 30 people living in one house, the children see a lot,” Paul Staughton said. “You can’t hide everything from the children.”

Many ex-members say the free love philosophy of The Family led to widespread sexual abuse of children in the 1970s and 80s. But that was 20 years ago, and in court documents, Kyle’s mother writes, “The Family has zero-tolerance towards abuse… I would never expose our son to such things.”

The Family claims it officially outlawed sex with minors in 1986.

“They banned sexual contact with children 20 years ago, yes, but all these people who had sexual contact with kids are still in The Family. How would you like to have your son raised in the community full of sex offenders?” Paul Staughton said.

News 8 tried to contact Angie Staughton at the Escondido commune. Sources say she’s in Rosarito Beach at a family-sponsored retreat. Family members at the commune declined to be interviewed.

Another point of contention is Kyle’s education. His mother wants the boy home schooled.

"I believe that the one on one education I can provide through home schooling is far superior than putting Kyle in a public classroom..." Angie Staughton wrote to the court.

Kyle’s father disagrees.

“The Family wants to home school the children because they can indoctrinate them,” he said.

And while the court battle over Kyle is getting very expensive for Paul, he’s not giving up.

“I want my son to be safe,” he said. “I love my son dearly, and any father in this situation would do the same thing.”

Last week, a San Diego judge ordered a site inspection of the Escondido commune to determine if it’s a safe environment for the boy. The investigation will look at the education the boy is getting.

A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 17.

Posted by Perry at 05:29 PM

France tunes in to mother's guilty plea in B.C.

Bizarre tale features jailed professor who wants to seek French presidency

ROD MICKLEBURGH

03/11/06

From Friday's Globe and Mail

VANCOUVER — Detours in the long and winding road to a PhD are not unknown.

But few can measure up to what befell Nathalie Gettliffe this spring, as she journeyed all the way from her native France to defend her doctoral thesis at the University of British Columbia.

Instead of appearing before an elite academic panel, she found herself arrested at the Vancouver airport and thrown in prison.

While her professors wondered why she hadn't shown up, Ms. Gettliffe was being charged with two long-standing counts of child abduction.
The charges were laid after she fled five years ago to France with two children from a broken marriage, in defiance of a B.C. court order. Since then, her case has become even more bizarre. Behind prison walls, where she remains to this day, Ms. Gettliffe has not only managed to complete her thesis defence, but also give birth to a baby boy.

In the meantime, she has become a cause célèbre in France, the subject of numerous media reports pillorying Canada for its treatment of a pregnant woman and turning B.C. into a land of "terrorist justice" in the eyes of her many fervid French supporters.

Adding fuel to the frenzy, Ms. Gettliffe has announced her intention to run for the presidency of France in 2007.

The remarkable saga of the 36-year-old learned linguistic professor, however, is at last nearing an end. In a brief court appearance yesterday, her lawyer, Richard Fowler, announced that Ms. Gettliffe will plead guilty today in B.C. Supreme Court, rather than face a scheduled jury trial on the charges against her on Nov. 20.

Mr. Fowler said sentencing arguments will be heard later this month.

But Ms. Gettliffe's guilty plea is unlikely to diminish the fierce emotions her case has generated in France.

There, she has been characterized with great sympathy in the media as a brave mother seeking to protect her children -- Joséphine, 12, and Maximilien, 11 -- from an alleged cult-like church attended by the children's father, Scott Grant.

The Vancouver Church of Christ has links to the U.S.-based International Church of Christ, banned from many U.S. university campuses for cult-like recruiting drives.

Continue reading "France tunes in to mother's guilty plea in B.C."

Posted by Perry at 03:25 PM

Nathalie Gettliffe va plaider coupable, la sélection du jury annulée

[The English translation that follows was performed by Google Language. It is not 100% accurate and is only included to assist researchers.]

Edicom
http://www.edicom.ch/fr/news/international/271_2469410.html

02 novembre 2006

La Française Nathalie Gettliffe, détenue depuis avril au Canada dans une affaire de garde d'enfants va plaider coupable vendredi, ce qui pourrait lui éviter un procès, a-t-on appris jeudi de sources judiciaires.

Un greffier de la Cour suprême de Colombie-Britannique a indiqué que la sélection du jury, qui devait avoir lieu jeudi en prévision du procès prévu le 20 novembre, avait été annulée.

Il a précisé que les avocats informeraient vendredi le tribunal de la décision de la jeune femme de plaider coupable.

Il n'avait cependant pas été possible d'obtenir confirmation immédiatement auprès des avocats.

Dans le système canadien, une déclaration de culpabilité de l'accusé peut permettre de parvenir à un accord entre l'accusation et la défense et éviter que l'on aille au procès. La peine est alors fixée par le juge et il arrive qu'il se contente de la peine préventive déjà purgée par l'accusé.

Des négociations étaient en cours entre l'accusation et les avocats de la jeune femme.

Nathalie Gettliffe, accusée d'avoir enlevé les deux enfants de son mariage avec le Canadien Scott Grant, est en prison au Canada depuis le mois d'avril.

La justice canadienne a refusé à deux reprises ses demandes de remise en liberté conditionnelle.

Nathalie Gettliffe will plead guilty, selection of the jury cancelled

The Frenchwoman Nathalie Gettliffe, held since April in Canada in a child custody case will plead guilty Friday, which would avoid a trial, one learned Thursday from legal sources.

A clerk of the supreme Court of British Columbia indicated that the selection of the jury, which was to take place Thursday in preparation for the lawsuit envisaged on November 20, had been cancelled. He specified that the lawyers would inform Friday the court of the decision of the young woman to plead guilty. It had however not been possible to obtain confirmation from lawyers immediately.

In the Canadian system, a declaration of guilt can make it possible to manage an agreement between the charge and defense and to prevent that one goes to trial. The sentence is then fixed by the judge and it happens that he is satisfied with the preventive sorrow already purged by the defendant. Negotiations were in hand between the charge and lawyers of the young woman.

Nathalie Gettliffe, shown to have removed the two children of her marriage with the Canadian Scott Grant, is in prison in Canada since April. Canadian justice refused twice its requests for handing-over in parole.

Posted by Perry at 03:11 PM

Gettliffe's jail OK: French senator

The Leader, Canada
By Dan Ferguson Staff Reporter
Oct 27 2006

Nathalie Gettliffe and her infant son Martin seem to be in good health and appear to have been well-treated, a French senator reportedly said after visiting the two at the medium-security Alouette Correctional Centre for Women in Maple Ridge.

"I found her in good health and the baby appeared splendid to me," Senator Andre Ferrand told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency during a French-language telephone interview.

Ferrand, who deals with matters affecting French citizens outside the country, made the visit on Oct. 13 to investigate complaints by Gettliffe's French common-law husband Francis Gruzelle that Gettliffe was being ill-treated while being held in prison.

The senator described the conditions at Alouette, which houses 128 women in one- and two-person cells without bars on the windows, as "very humanized."

"It's obviously no three-star hotel but it appears to be the best possible (accommodation) under the circumstances" Ferrand commented.

Ferrand added that his opinion only represents his "first impressions" not a final judgment on his part.

Gettliffe was temporarily transferred from Alouette to a Lower Mainland hospital last month to give birth to Martin.

She has been held in prison since she was arrested on her return to Canada in April, five years after she went to France with two children from her marriage to Surrey resident Scott Grant.

The children, Max and Josephine, were reunited with their father in June after French courts ordered their return.

The case has generated considerable controversy in France, with supporters claiming Gettliffe was lured back to Canada by the promise her ex-husband would give her custody of her children.

However a statement issued by the Canadian Embassy in Paris after Martin's birth said those negotiations had broken off before Gettliffe came back to Canada.

"Despite interruption of mediation begun by MAMIF (the French Justice Ministry's international family mediation service) Ms. Gettliffe, who was several months pregnant, decided on her own initiative to travel to Canada on April 10, 2006, to defend a thesis at the University of British Columbia," the statement said.

Her trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 20.

Shortly after Senator Ferrand's B.C. visit, a French internet news outlet reported that Francis Gruzelle plans to begin a hunger strike this Friday (Oct. 27) in front of the Canadian embassy in Paris to demand the return of Nathalie and Martin.

http://www.surreyleader.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=73&cat=23&id=758497&more=

Posted by Perry at 02:54 PM

Affaire Gettliffe: discussions en cours pour éviter un procès

[The English translation that follows was performed by Google Language. It is not 100% accurate and is only included to assist researchers.]

Le Monde
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/depeches/0,14-0,39-28613944@7-37,0.html

AFP 25.10.06

Le ministère public et les avocats de Nathalie Gettliffe discutent d'un accord qui pourrait éviter un procès à la Française, incarcérée depuis avril au Canada pour non respect d'une décision de garde d'enfants, a-t-on appris mercredi de sources judiciaires.

Des discussions sont en cours "pour voir si nous pouvons parvenir à un réglement", a déclaré Richard Fowler, un avocat de Mme Gettliffe, lors d'une audition devant un juge de Vancouver, sur le côte ouest canadienne.

Il a ajouté que "sa cliente souhaitait conserver une date pour le procès au cas où les discussions n'aboutiraient pas".

Le procès de la jeune française, accusée d'avoir enlevé les deux enfants qu'elle a eus avec son ex-mari canadien Scott Grant, doit débuter le 20 novembre. Elle risque 10 ans de prison.

Interrogé par l'AFP après l'audition, Me Fowler a noté que "dans chaque affaire, il existe une possibilité que celle-ci ne se termine pas par un procès". Mais il a souligné qu'il parlait en termes généraux et pas spécifiquement du cas de Mme Gettliffe.

Me Fowler a également indiqué devant le tribunal que Mme Gettliffe avait accepté que son procès, s'il a lieu, se déroule en anglais.

"Nathalie Gettliffe souhaite maintenant avoir un procès en anglais avec un jury anglophone", a-t-il dit.

Mme Gettliffe avait demandé que son procès se déroule devant un jury populaire et en français, ce qui soulevait quelques problèmes dans la province de Colombie-Britannique majoritairement anglophone, même si le français est avec l'anglais une des deux langues officielles du Canada.

La semaine dernière un autre avocat de Mme Gettliffe, Me Joseph Arvay, avait indiqué qu'une décision sur la langue du procès n'avait pas encore été prise, mais qu'il serait vraisemblablement bilingue.

Une audition prévue lundi prochain pour commencer la sélection d'un jury francophone a d'autre part été reportée, a-t-on indiqué se sources judiciaires.

Nathalie Gettliffe avait fui en 2001 le Canada pour la France, en compagnie de ses deux premiers enfants afin, selon elle, de les soustraire à l'influence de leur père, membre de l'Eglise internationale du Christ, considérée comme un mouvement sectaire en France mais légale au Canada.

Continue reading "Affaire Gettliffe: discussions en cours pour éviter un procès"

Posted by Perry at 02:37 PM

October 27, 2006

Judge Denies Motion To Ban Media From Sex Cult Case

http://www.kfmb.com/features/special_assignment/story.php?id=66879

10-17-06 at 6:25PM
SAN DIEGO, CA

A custody battle over a four-year-old boy whose mother is a member of a free-love religious sect exploded in a San Diego courtroom today. At issue, whether the group named The Family is a religion, or a cult.

There were heated words in family court Monday, where a mother and father are fighting for custody of their four-year-old son. The mother, 28-year-old Angie Staughton, is a member of a notorious religious sect called The Family.

The father, Paul Staughton, left the group because he disagrees with its philosophy of open sexuality to show love for Jesus. Current members of The Family call it a Christian missionary group, but many ex-members say it’s a cult.

“I’m asking Mr. Baumer to stop using the word ‘cult,’ because that is irrelevant. The issue is the child and the mother and the father, nothing more,” said Angie Staughton’s attorney Jeanie Cetlinski.

Formerly known as the Children of God, The Family is a Christian sect whose members live in communes like the one in Escondido where the four-year-old boy currently lives with his mother. Some ex-members say the open sex practices of The Family led to widespread child abuse in the 1970s and 80s.

“The organization itself does not protect the child from pedophiles,” said Paul Staughton’s attorney Robert Baumer.

Baumer worries some of those alleged child abusers are still members of the group.

“Some of them may practice this behavior on the children. In other words, sexual intercourse, or molestation with the children,” he said.

The Family says it outlawed sex with minors 20 years ago, and in court papers, Angie Staughton said she would never allow anyone to abuse her son.

“It’s not the religion at issue. It’s the best interest of the child and whether the mother is able to provide care for the best interest of the child,” Cetlinski said.

On Monday, the judge denied the mother’s request to seal the court record and bar the media from the courtroom. The case has gotten the attention of both local and national media.

Last month, the judge ordered a site inspection of the group’s commune in Escondido to see if it’s a safe environment for the boy. An inspection report is expected to be filed with the court sometime in January.

Posted by Perry at 05:24 PM

Son caught in Exclusive Brethren tug-of-love

The New Zealand Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10405886

Saturday October 14, 2006
By Patrick Gower

As a boy in the Exclusive Brethren, Vincent Field thought his father was the devil's work.

His parents had been excommunicated by the sect, and Vincent was being held by his Exclusive Brethren grandparents in one of this country's highest-profile custody disputes, which went all the way to Parliament through National MP Nick Smith.

The 3-year dispute ended in 1993 when 12-year-old Vincent and his younger siblings were returned to parents Stan and Julia Field.

And today Vincent, 25, is best of mates with his father and as far as he can be from the Exclusive Brethren's beliefs.

Speaking publicly for the first time, Vincent said he was angry about the sect's attempts to influence politics in New Zealand and other countries.

"It pisses me off that they are still kicking people out and breaking up families," he told the Weekend Herald.

"I have experienced first hand what that is like, and it bloody hurts. It is the leaders who condone it, and it is the leaders who are getting into all this political stuff. It is the leaders I have something against."

The Field dispute began at Christmas 1989 when the Nelson-based parents were having marital problems that led to them being "withdrawn from" and leaving the children with grandparents Geoff and Letitia Hickmott in Rangiora while they sorted things out.

They never got back with the sect and didn't get the children back either.

Continue reading "Son caught in Exclusive Brethren tug-of-love"

Posted by Perry at 04:59 PM

Children in High Demand Organizations

Views expressed on our Web sites are those of the document's author(s) and are not necessarily shared, endorsed, or recommended by Safe Passage Foundation or any of its directors, volunteers, staff or consultants.

Child Custody

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January 23, 2007

Arizona lawmaker targets visitation by polygamists

January 15, 2007

Court lets sect kids see dad, but not TV

French woman convicted of abducting children from Canada freed

Nathalie Gettliffe bénéficie d'une libération conditionnelle

January 12, 2007

Nathalie Gettliffe bénéficie d'une libération conditionnelle

January 09, 2007

Nathalie Gettliffe a commis beaucoup d’erreurs

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Chronique avec un J

December 06, 2006

Fin du feuilleton Nathalie Gettliffe

December 05, 2006

Pascal Clément prêt à appuyer Gettliffe

'Brainwashing' mother gets 16 months for abducting kids

Nathalie Gettliffe condamnée à seize mois de prison

December 04, 2006

French woman who snatched kids from their B.C. dad gets six month jail term

Condamnée à 16 mois, Nathalie Gettliffe restera encore six mois en prison

Kids turned against him, father says

Grant accuse son ex-femme d'avoir empoisonné sa relation avec ses enfants

December 02, 2006

Church of the Sub-Genius Custody Dispute

December 01, 2006

Abductor told French television she'd do it again

Nathalie Gettlife : 2 ans de prisons requis

November 24, 2006

Sex Cult Custody Battle Will Remain Open To Media

November 15, 2006

Judge gives abductor, Nathalie Gettliffe, stern rebuke

Nathalie Gettliffe obtient plus de droits de visite pour ses enfants

November 10, 2006

B.C. judge rejects Crown's psych request in kidnapping case

Pas d'évaluation psychiatrique pour Nathalie Gettliffe

November 09, 2006

Mental exam of abductor needed to protect children, Crown says

Affaire Gettliffe: l'accusation demande une évaluation pyschiatrique/ Prosecutor Asks for Psychiatric Assessment in Custody Case

November 05, 2006

Nathalie Gettliffe a plaidé coupable de l'enlèvement de ses deux enfants/ Mother Pleads Guilty in Custody Case

November 03, 2006

Judge Orders Site Inspection Of Sex Cult

France tunes in to mother's guilty plea in B.C.

Nathalie Gettliffe va plaider coupable, la sélection du jury annulée

Gettliffe's jail OK: French senator

Affaire Gettliffe: discussions en cours pour éviter un procès

October 27, 2006

Judge Denies Motion To Ban Media From Sex Cult Case

Son caught in Exclusive Brethren tug-of-love