MEDIA INFORMATION FOR IMMEDIATE USE 12 OCTOBER 2010

KEN THOMPSON/Abduction of ANDREW JOHN THOMPSON

AUSTRALIAN LAWYER TO MAKE SUBMISSIONS ON KEN THOMPSON'S BEHALF 10.30am 13 October

The story of an Australian father's search for his son, which appeared to end happily in Amsterdam last month, has not yet reached any kind of resolution. Andrew Thompson has been found and is being held in a child custody centre in Amsterdam, but he has not been recovered to the jurisdiction of the Australian Family Court. On 2 February 2009 The Australian newspaper quoted from a letter sent to the media by his mother, Ms Melinda Stratton, who was then in hiding overseas.

Ms Stratton said she had no choice other than to flee Australia, because she had lost faith in the Family Court. She says the balance of the court - once firmly in favour of granting custody to mothers - had tipped dramatically towards fathers. The Howard government's regime of "shared parenting" had given power to fathers at the expense of mothers.

"I have lost all faith in any form of justice coming out of Australia," Ms Stratton says.

"By remaining silent, however, I ensure that they (the Family Court) can continue to treat other mothers and children this way."

Ms Stratton said in her 10-page letter that the court psychologist appointed by the Family Court is biased against mothers. She points to papers presented by Family Court practitioners in which they say that mothers can make up allegations of abuse and that children can be manipulated by their mothers to say they have been abused.

Melinda Stratton is now in jail in Amsterdam awaiting extradition on contempt of court and other charges while her Australian lawyers attempt to use the same Family Court she fled from to frustrate Andrew's father and stop Australian media from reporting on the case.

Andrew receives visits and phone calls from his father, but he is still being held in care. In Amsterdam, Ken Thompson is making his way through the complications of Hague Convention Return applications, custody and access issues and trying to arrange sessions of cross-border mediation which may assist his wife from having to face police extradition from the Netherlands to face charges in Australia. Now, half a world away, he has been forced to retain Sydney Lawyer, Duncan Holmes to address legal issues in Australia.

Mr Holmes will be appearing on Ken Thompson's behalf tomorrow morning at 10.30am at the Family Court of Australia, 97-99 Goulburn St, Sydney.

It is noted that the current Family Court Publication Order authorises publication of matters to assist in the location and recovery of Andrew Thompson. It is noted that Andrew has been located. He has not yet been recovered.

This order makes it possible, on that basis, for media to continue to report this internationally significant case.

For further information:

Robin Bowles 0418102732

or Duncan Holmes 0419490610