"Not responsible" – This was the response from Aargau authorities to a father and his daughter Sandra when she spoke out against returning to her mother.
Aargau's chief judge wants
Sandra back to Brazil against her will
!
SF DRS – Switzerland News from May 10, 2007 and May 11, 2007
Tele M1 from May 10, 2007, May 11, 2007 and May 12, 2007
set up by her schoolmates website
Sandra came to Switzerland in early 2007 to visit her father. Her mother had returned with her to her native Brazil after the separation, even though the girl was born in Switzerland and lived there until she was 11 years old.
Sandra has repeatedly and clearly stated that she does not want to return to her mother. Among other things, there are clear, unambiguous statements she made to Heinrich Nufer of the Marie Meierhofer Institute.
Sandra is 13 years old, and therefore, according to clear legal precedent, old enough to have a say in her place of residence.
The Aargau High Court apparently has no interest in any of these facts. Instead, it has Sandra arrested off the street by the Thurgau police, treating her like a criminal.
Sandra has lived in a foster family in Thurgau for the last 3 months and went to school in Wil, in a facility run by the Tipiti association.
Both Tipiti and the Marie Meierhofer Institute are recognized institutions that have been dealing with children's rights for years.
However, these experts are of no importance to the Aargau High Court – as a senior judge explains on television, they are nothing more than a "party statement" and therefore relatively insignificant.
Conclusion: A 13-year-old girl runs away from her mother. She hides with her father and asks him for help. The father responds, takes the girl to specialists, and places her in professional care. He does everything necessary to help his daughter fulfill her wish.
And what does the Aargau state do? It disregards the girl's wishes, ignores the statements of recognized experts, overlooks the father's obvious efforts, and hides behind flimsy statements like "Custody was awarded to the mother" or "The girl cannot be legally represented because she is not yet of age." Such legal maneuvering is utterly disgraceful.
The VeV has been advocating for joint custody for over 10 years. Cases like this one wouldn't exist if men and women, fathers and mothers, could retain joint custody even after separation and divorce.
We will stand up for this girl. As someone from Aargau, I am ashamed to live in a canton that is so clearly backward when it comes to custody and child welfare.
Today, a demonstration in support of Sandra took place in Rheinfelden. Around 100 people took to the streets and called on the Aargau authorities to respect human rights and not stubbornly cling to past wrong decisions.
A vigil is planned next. Hopefully, the authorities will reconsider their decision.