The demise of a family torn apart by violence and trapped by the judiciary and social work!

As Safir reported today that after months of strain and suffering by the Sweidan couple to see their children who have been taken to the custody of the Anglican House of Hope, the father won a 10-day custody of his children by virtue of a court ruling to this effect. In the details, the story started back in March 2015, when the father filed a grievance before the Appeals Public Prosecutor of Mount Lebanon against his wife and her brother after he returned home and could not find her or the kids. He accused his wife of kidnapping the children to exploit them in illegal forms of work. After a few days, As Safir went on to say, the husband discovered that his wife, who has resorted to the civil association, Abaad, (which protects survivors of gender based and domestic violence) through an office affiliated with the Ministry of Social Affairs in the southern suburb of Shiyya7 stating that she has been exposed to abuse by her husband. Abaad took the children and their mom from place to place whenever the father got wind of their location, and thus hid them for six months without reverting to the court. On 26/11/2015, Abaad seized a court ruling by Judge Dima Deeb which temporarily places the mother and her children at its premises. On 11/1/2016, Deeb issued another decision releasing the mother and her daughters provided she declares the new place of residence. Later, on January 21, Deeb delivered a new verdict requesting a letter in writing to be sent to the Appeals Court in the North advising the competent authorities to write a directive of investigation and inquiry against the mother for taking her daughters to an unknown destination. The verdict ordered delivery and placement of the children at the above association. On 28/1/2016, Judge Deeb issued a new ruling asking the ‘deceased’ grandfather to take temporary custody of his grandchildren! The newspaper pointed out that after a strenuous and unhappy journey, the wife has decided to return home hoping to reunite and reconcile with her family. The file, it should be noted, has been transferred to the Jurisdiction of Saida in the South, which decided that the children stay away from their parents and accordingly be placed at the Anglican House of Hope in Ka7aleh, Mount Lebanon, where they are now. (As Safir, July 4 and 5, 2016)