Lebanon child abduction charges against mother may be dropped in exchange for custody

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Sally Faulkner, who allegedly hired professionals to snatch her children from Beirut last week, was offered kidnapping charges to be dropped if she relinquishes custody of her children, according to reports yesterday. This is on the condition she will have full access rights, but must never take the children back to Australia.

The children's father and Faulkner's estranged husband, Ali el-Amien, took the children to Lebanon on holiday in 2014 and never returned them to their Brisbane home. Faulkner was granted sole custody of the children, Lahela and Noah, by the Family Court of Australia in December of last year. Faulkner's lawyer, Ghassan Moghabghab, said Lebanese religious authorities had granted the father full custody.

In remarks to Australian news service ABC News, Moghabghab said money supplied by the Australian current affairs program 60 Minutes was paid to Child Abduction Recovery International, who conducted the abduction last week.

Mr Moghabghab has declined to make further statements, saying it may influence legal negotiations. The Nine Network has also refused to comment on allegations of giving A$115,000 to Faulkner either as payment for rights to the story or to fund the abduction.

The 60 Minutes news crew was remanded in custody beside Faulkner on Wednesday. They face potential jail time of up to 20 years. The crew's charges include kidnapping, physical assault, withholding information and forming an association to commit a crime against a person. The case has been adjourned until Monday. Judge Rami Abdullah says there is "no chance" of the charges being dropped against the 60 Minutes crew.

According to Child Recovery Australia, less than half of Australian children abducted by a parent are returned through legal means. Lebanon isn't party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says Australia is making every effort to support the crew and Faulkner, but the legal jurisdiction of Lebanon has to be respected.

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Sources

Belinda Jepsen. "Sally Faulkner used money from 60 Minutes to pay the men who grabbed her children." — Mamamia, April 15, 2016
Daniel Peters and Daniel Piotrowski. "Sally Faulkner's estranged husband will drop kidnap charges over botched 60 Minutes 'abduction' if she agrees to NEVER take their children to Australia - because he's worried she won't bring them back to Lebanon" — Daily Mail Australia, April 15, 2016
AAP. "Mother, 60 Minutes crew charged in Lebanon" — SBS News, April 14, 2016
Charles Miranda. "60 Minutes crew detained in Lebanon until Monday as judge warns charges are not going away" — news.com.au, April 15, 2016
Matt Brown. "60 Minutes crew including Tara Brown could have kidnapping-related charges downgraded in Lebanon" — ABC News (Australia), April 13, 2016
Michael Lallo. "What was 60 Minutes doing in Lebanon?" — The Sydney Morning Herald, April 9, 2016
"International parental child abduction" — Attorney-General's Department (Australia), 2016 (date of access)
"Parental child abduction research info" — Child Recovery Australia, 2016 (date of access)
"Report: International parental child abduction to and from Australia" — Parliament of Australia, October 31, 2011

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