Australian man embarrasses Swedish police, finds missing children. - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

MSD · 04-07-2009, 05:03 AM

Melbourne dad finds kidnapped sons and shows up Swedish cops | National News | News.com.au

Quote:

A MELBOURNE father's speedy rescue of his two kidnapped sons has embarrassed Swedish police, who struggled with the case for six months.
Armed with just a pair of binoculars and a rental car, it took the dad only one week to find his missing sons, aged 11 and ten, in Sweden.

"It is a genuine failing mark to the work of the police,'' columnist Lars Lindstrom wrote in the Swedish newspaper Expressen.

"(The father) went on leave, flew from Melbourne to Sweden and found them in a week. How did that happen?''

The boys were allegedly abducted in October last year by their Swedish mother.

She was charged with their kidnapping and became a wanted fugitive in Sweden.

The father had custody of the children but the mother was granted access twice a year.

After six months of waiting at home in Melbourne for a break in the case, the dad decided to take matters into his own hands.

After a week of waiting, he crept out of his car under the cover of night and walked towards the front door.

For the first time in six months, he heard the sounds of his sons' voices coming from inside the building.

"I didn't even know the children were alive. The feeling was incredible,'' the father told Expressen.

He then went back to his car and called the Swedish authorities, who entered the home, arrested the mother and reunited the boys with their father.

The local authorities said they had done their best to find the children during the six month investigation.

"We have looked at a number of addresses,'' said Svante Melin, Detective Superintendent of Sodermanland Police in Sweden.

Swedish police had earlier suggested a feminist group had helped the mother with the abduction.

"As far as I can see, there is no evidence that the mother was helped by anybody,'' Det Supt Melin said.

Now the father and sons are waiting for flights home to Australia, funded by the Swedish Foreign Ministry.

"I am grateful that they will help take us home. My economy is driven into the ground,'' he said.

The father said he would not criticise the police over their efforts in finding the boys.

The mother is in custody and waiting for a court date to be set.

This struck me as odd: "Swedish police had earlier suggested a feminist group had helped the mother with the abduction." Does Sweden have a problem with sleeper cells in university Women's Studies departments ready to help mothers to save children from tyrannical patriarchs?

But seriously, it's nice to hear some good news for once. I have to wonder if he had asked them to stake out the house and exactly what the police were doing rather than check the obvious places.

little_tippler · 04-08-2009, 12:08 PM

I read this piece of news myself and thought how sad it is that the police were so completely clueless at solving something that took the father a few days. It's shameful.

It also makes you think about the state of our law enforcement these days. I'm sure Portugal is a lot worse. That's why whenever the Maddie case is mentioned I cringe...

The father sounds like a generous man, not getting angry over the badly handled case. He must just be happy to have his children back. I can imagine how exhausted he must be, physically and mentally.

Cynthetiq · 04-08-2009, 01:20 PM

When it comes to international incidents like this one, I know these kinds of tales all too well. A childhood friend has his son abducted and taken to Korea. He lobbied for years to get assistance from the FBI but couldn't because of the different international children's laws. There's lots of them out there, and there's lots of countries that don't have reciprocity or recognize those laws even if they are friendly with that country.

Eventually after many years he got his son back because she moved to Australia and tried to get a passport for him in that US Embassy. She was arrested and extradited to the US and currently in prison. The boy is living with his father.

I remember even as a kid watching family feuds from one aunt to an uncle and have them abscond with the children. Is a mother taking her children really kidnapping? Maybe, possibly, but again it depends on the courts and if there are even courts involved.

kutulu · 04-08-2009, 01:40 PM

I'm a little skeptical about this. She was found at her parents' house. My guess is that the Swedish cops had not done shit to find the kids. Maybe they had no intention of taking kids away from their Swedish mother in favor of an Australian father, despite the fact that he has custody. Once he calls in with their exact location they had no chance but to act.

04-08-2009, 12:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
little_tippler Leaning against the -Sun- Super Moderator Location: on the other side	I read this piece of news myself and thought how sad it is that the police were so completely clueless at solving something that took the father a few days. It's shameful. It also makes you think about the state of our law enforcement these days. I'm sure Portugal is a lot worse. That's why whenever the Maddie case is mentioned I cringe... The father sounds like a generous man, not getting angry over the badly handled case. He must just be happy to have his children back. I can imagine how exhausted he must be, physically and mentally. __________________ Whether we write or speak or do but look We are ever unapparent. What we are Cannot be transfused into word or book. Our soul from us is infinitely far. However much we give our thoughts the will To be our soul and gesture it abroad, Our hearts are incommunicable still. In what we show ourselves we are ignored. The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged By any skill of thought or trick of seeming. Unto our very selves we are abridged When we would utter to our thought our being. We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams, And each to each other dreams of others' dreams. Fernando Pessoa, 1918

04-08-2009, 01:20 PM	#3 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	When it comes to international incidents like this one, I know these kinds of tales all too well. A childhood friend has his son abducted and taken to Korea. He lobbied for years to get assistance from the FBI but couldn't because of the different international children's laws. There's lots of them out there, and there's lots of countries that don't have reciprocity or recognize those laws even if they are friendly with that country. Eventually after many years he got his son back because she moved to Australia and tried to get a passport for him in that US Embassy. She was arrested and extradited to the US and currently in prison. The boy is living with his father. I remember even as a kid watching family feuds from one aunt to an uncle and have them abscond with the children. Is a mother taking her children really kidnapping? Maybe, possibly, but again it depends on the courts and if there are even courts involved. __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

04-08-2009, 01:40 PM	#4 (permalink)
kutulu Junkie	I'm a little skeptical about this. She was found at her parents' house. My guess is that the Swedish cops had not done shit to find the kids. Maybe they had no intention of taking kids away from their Swedish mother in favor of an Australian father, despite the fact that he has custody. Once he calls in with their exact location they had no chance but to act.