Law

Court corruption places child’s welfare and safety at risk

A Ukrainian Court in Poltava has been accused of corruption in that the judge and police allegedly has accepted payment of $3,000 in a case involving the custody and welfare of a 3 year old child.

The previously unwed mother (29) of the three year old child had married a person of Italian decent and was required to seek court approval to gain sole custody over the child.

The estranged father, a Russian national, had not provided care or support for the child since 2005.

The mother of the child and her husband have been living together in Poltava for the last year and they wish to travel to Italy, but without fathers rights and permission to travel are stuck in Ukraine.

The application to extinguish fathers rights was opposed by the mothers parents who were using the case as a means of prevent their daughter the right to leave Ukraine as they seek to secure custody over the child.

Evidence presented in court by the social welfare officers and others all supported the mother and her husband’s application to have the father rights removed from the paternal father . In what appeared to be a straight forward case.

The Judge hearing the case in Poltava walk out of the court to consider her judgment and returned within minutes with a blank sheet of paper and refused the application. The judge has failed to issued the judgement in writing placing restrictions on the rights of the mother to appeal the judges decision.

It is alleged that the Judge had received a $1,000 payment to refuse the application .

The mothers parents have also allegedly paid $2,000 balance of the bribed to the local police in Poltava. The mother and her husband of one year are under constant surveillance and subject to regular harassment.

This case has raised ongoing concern over the functioning of justice in Ukraine where it is common knowledge that the justice system is corrupt and that the rule of law is applied depending on who can pay the most. The happiness and welfare of the child and mother along with the evidence presented by the child welfare agencies presented mattered little, money paid to the judge and police came first.

For further information

Contact: Ramiz

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