Chartier Wanted in Sweden

April 13, 2005 permalink

Marie-Emilie Chartier, who escaped from Canada with her three children in March, has been refused permission to stay in Sweden. Her current whereabouts are unknown.

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CNEWS, Wed, April 13, 2005

Mom, kids seen in Sweden

Authorities miss chance to nab child abductees

By ANDREW SEYMOUR, Ottawa Sun

AN OTTAWA mom accused of abducting her four kids has disappeared again after approaching immigration officials in Sweden asking to remain in the European country. Ottawa police said Marie-Emilie Chartier approached Swedish officials on March 31 asking for permission to remain in the country with her four children, Marie Alexandre, 12, Michael, 8, Aniel, 6, and Mariel Charlotte, 5.

Chartier, 35, is wanted by Ottawa police after allegedly taking the children March 15 from their grandmother's house and heading to Montreal, where she boarded a flight to Amsterdam. She then continued on to Stockholm.

Despite the fact Ottawa police sent out an Interpol alert to 52 countries in the days after the alleged abduction, Ottawa police Det. Gina Rosa said it wasn't until after Swedish authorities started processing her request that anyone realized she was wanted in Canada.

By the time Swedish officials went to tell her her application was rejected and take her into custody, she had vanished again.

"The officials are in possession of her passports and her expired airline tickets," Rosa said, adding a Swedish inspector has now joined the case in hopes of tracking Chartier down.

Even though she is now without her passport, Rosa said Chartier can still travel by car, boat and train to more than a dozen other Western European nations as a result of the Schengen Cooperation, which allows people to travel without passports among member countries.

Rosa said Canadian authorities intend to ask that Chartier, who is wanted on a Canada-wide arrest warrant, be extradited back to Canada to face four counts of abduction and a breach of probation.

If and when the children are found, Canadian officials could face a lengthy legal battle to return them home.

An application needs to be made under the Hague Convention and that can only be done if she is found in a country that abides by the international legal agreement.

Police said it appears Chartier planned the trip well in advance, securing passports for herself and her children as well as contacting several travel agents to arrange for plane tickets to Stockholm.

Rosa said police are still unsure how Chartier is supporting herself or the children while in Sweden.

andrew.seymour@ott.sunpub.com

Source: Ottawa Sun