In an international child custody case, a mother has won back the custody of her two young children, though their father originally had custody and had accused her of kidnapping and then abandoning them, as reported by USA Today.
C.T., the father, told reporters, "For the last three years, I have been alone here with my kids. Their mother chose not to be here. And suddenly, she just appears."
However, M.T., the mother, countered her ex-husband's claim and told reporters, "I never left my kids. They were taken from me. I have been to Cyprus seven times in the last 2 1/2 years to see my children, and he does not cooperate."
C.T. and M.T. were married in the U.S. after meeting in college in Arizona. They had two children, now aged four and seven, and the family later moved to Cyprus. The couple split up and M.T. brought their two children back with her to Indiana. At this time C.T. filed kidnapping charges against M.T.
Due to the kidnapping accusations, the U.S. State Department advised M.T. to send her children back to their father in Cyprus, according to M.T. She had filed for divorce in South Bend and the court granted her custody of her children. C.T. told reporters that he wasn't sure how a court in the U.S. could make a ruling while his children were with him in Cyprus. M.T. said that it was due to advice from a Cypriot court and child welfare officials that she then had made a move to Cyprus.
C.T. further claimed that the reasons for his former wife's interest in custody were driven by her desire for money. He told reporters, "I don't know why she is doing this. All the media stories. She is trying to get the public involved ... collecting money."
M.T. has set up a foundation to support her efforts and raise awareness of her ongoing plight. M.T. alleges that C.T. kept the kidnapping charges active to make her afraid to come to Cyprus where she could be arrested. She said, "He did this to keep me away from my kids."
M.T. has also claimed that she is not pursuing custody of her children for any financial gains. She told reporters, "The only thing that matters to me is my kids. If money was important to me, then I would be in the USA right now working, where I have a job and can support myself." She also added, "I am here for my children that deserve to have their mother."
C.T. believes that he is just in the eyes of the law. He told reporters that he is prepared to provide legal documentation as proof to end the dispute.
Whether your children reside with you stateside or have been living abroad, contact a family law attorney to help you with any child custody disputes. A family law attorney is expert in changes to child custody.