Mediation?

Yeah sure, and places like Lebanon are places that recognise and abide by international Law, don't they?

Like say the rights of the child covenant? Or equal rights for women?

And indeed give full weight and consideration to other nation's court orders? Such a nice place chock full of gentle caring people!?

I mean, what planet are you living on?
Rhrosty.

The father has also applied to have the children's Australian passports cancelled,
Looks like he never wants them to visit Australia.

Apparently it's ok for him to have dual passports but not his children.
They are, after all,more Australian than he is.

He's run home to his mummy.
I bet he's not doing any of the really hard work caring for those little ones.

Now he's got money, he'll probably get a new wife and have another 6 kids.

He won't do any real Childcare though.
He looks like a big sook to me. I bet his mother is waiting on him hand and foot as well as caring for the children

Onlline Opinion,

What's with, "the women who always say yes", adds?

If these adds pay good money to keep online opinion, online,

then, because I like your site so much I guess I will have to put up with
some dubious tart flashing her stuff at me.

As you can tell I'm a woman. Might be why there's not too many on here tonight.
All the blokes are off with "the women who always say yes"

Glad my brain doesn't becxome addled by such things,LoL
Singing "oh, I love being a girl"

Did the fathers swear allegiance to Australia and vow to honour and obey her laws? And is he not therefore bound by Australian court decisions?
Alan B.

Yes AlanB, I believe this 'father' should have his Australian passport cancelled because he flouted Australian law and kept the children away from their mother who had been granted custody.

He is a smiling idiot who is happy to have made his wife pay for leaving him.
We don't want people like him in Australia. I only hope it serves to warn other women in Australia to be wary of men who were born in those countries where women's rights are very limited. Or if they do agree to have kids with these men, then don't allow them to leave Australia!

As for mediation in cases like these, I doubt that men like this loving father, who have grown up in places where women have little rights, would listen to anyone trying to tell them how to treat their own possessions....their wives and children.
The kids are the ones who will miss out here, and their father will be left with two damaged kids. I hope it will come back to haunt him...

I applaud Helen Freris for her article, and despite the scepticism of most commentators, as a former mediator I know that amazing outcomes can result from the process. I also know from personal experience that the children in these types of cases will ultimately vote with their feet as to whom they wish to eventually associate with and the individual parents may well live to regret their personal actions at this early stage. It is a shame however that this evolving situation forces the children therein to forego a significant portion of their childhood and become the adults to their incompetent parents.

I consider a more appropriate title for the article would be ‘The interests of the children MUST always be the priority’.