GDN:Custody battle adjourned

Published: 12th October 2006

A CHILD custody hearing was adjourned by a Sharia Court judge after a Filipina mother and her lawyer failed to arrive on time.

The two-year battle over Sarah, a three-year-old Bahraini toddler, was adjourned until November 29.

Filipina Lecita Flores and her Bahraini ex-husband were expected to let the Sharia Court judge know at the hearing whether they have reached a settlement over their child.

Ms Flores told the GDN that she and her lawyer had arrived late in court and was told that the judge had already adjourned the hearing to next month.

“I was late because I was hoping a Philippine Embassy official could come with me to the court, but no one was able to,” she said.

Published: 12th October 2006

A CHILD custody hearing was adjourned by a Sharia Court judge after a Filipina mother and her lawyer failed to arrive on time.

The two-year battle over Sarah, a three-year-old Bahraini toddler, was adjourned until November 29.

Filipina Lecita Flores and her Bahraini ex-husband were expected to let the Sharia Court judge know at the hearing whether they have reached a settlement over their child.

Ms Flores told the GDN that she and her lawyer had arrived late in court and was told that the judge had already adjourned the hearing to next month.

“I was late because I was hoping a Philippine Embassy official could come with me to the court, but no one was able to,” she said.

“My lawyer was late too and we both missed the hearing. I was really hoping we could end (this child custody battle) already.”

Ms Flores had earlier been fighting for sole custody, but in the past few months has agreed to share guardianship for the sake of the child.

The case began in Kuwait in April 2004 when Ms Flores’ husband brought Sarah back to Bahrain. Ms Flores was later told by her husband that he had divorced her and was keeping their child. She filed a case in Kuwait’s Sharia Court in May 2004 and won.

When she followed her ex-husband and Sarah to Bahrain in November that year, she was told she had to file a case here, as the Kuwait ruling does not apply. The embassy has been providing her free room and board since she arrived, while the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society has been backing her since April last year.

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