The more I see of the justice system in this part of the world, the less my faith. How can any judge, anywhere in the world, ignore the alleged kidnapping of a child and carry on with a custody hearing as if nothing criminal had taken place?
What sort of judge does not even insist that a child allegedly snatched from his mother is not brought to court to give his version of what happened?
How can that same judge not at the very least demand that the mother is allowed to see the child she says was snatched from her by relatives, a month earlier?
What sort of people, either on the court bench or amongst the protagonists, can ignore that mother's agony, whatever their stand on the case itself?
The plight of 10-year-old Adam Jones, allegedly snatched in Doha by relatives of his late Qatari father during a visit with his mother Rebecca, from their home in Bahrain, is appalling.
That a family can take a child and claim custody, without the court investigating the circumstances of the alleged kidnapping, is a total travesty of justice.
Adam holds a British passport and was born to a British mother, but have we heard one word of diplomatic protest from the UK government or its representatives here?
No - and we will not, for political and economic expediency in international relations puts the plight of a child well down the agenda, particularly when he is the product of a marriage into a foreign family.
Officials in the embassy and Foreign Office, if it has reached that far, will "observe" and do nothing, other than mutter under their breath that the mother "should have known better".
The British government makes it clear to its citizens that if they hold dual nationality it will do nothing to help them if they fall foul of the law in the country of their second nationality.
Adam holds British nationality through his mother and Qatari through his father and as such his plight is of little interest to UK authorities, particularly while it is in the hands of Qatari court.
But this is a child who was safe with his British mother, stepfather and younger stepsister, until allegedly being duped into visiting his supposedly sick Qatari grandmother, who has filed for custody for herself. As such the British government should get involved, if only to insist on communication between a doubtless distressed Adam and his mother.
Mrs Jones is already losing hope, following yesterday's refusal by a court in Doha to return Adam to her until it makes its final ruling. Who can blame her, when so-called justice is so tragically blind and when those who could help choose to look the other way.
lhorton@gdn.com.bh
