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Family Visits Poland

December 14, 2011 permalink

When Canadian Stephen Watkins and Polish wife Edyta divorced, a Canadian court awarded custody to father Stephen. But on a visit Edyta absconded with the children and her whereabouts remained unknown for two and a half years. The mother and children have been found in Warsaw Poland where the mother is living under her maiden name Ustaszewska. She has turned the children against their father.

In cases where a parent absconds with a child claimed by children's aid, Canada does everything possible to return the child and extradite the parent. For example, Marie-Emilie Chartier: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]. Efforts don't seem so thorough in this case. Tomorrow a Polish judge will decide whether to return the boys to Canada. The mother is under no restraint, and if the ruling goes against her, she can abduct the children again.

In the Canadian parliament British Columbia MP Jinny Sims questioned minister Diane Ablonczy (mp4) about the Watkins family.

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Stephen Watkins, Christopher Watkins, and Alexander Watkins
Christopher Watkins, 7, Alexander, 10 and father Stephen shown together in Warsaw, Poland. After two years spent searching for his missing sons, Mr. Watkins hopes a Polish court will let them come home.

Extradition

Custody fight abroad is a ‘losing battle’, dad says

Stephen Watkins had spent two and a half years dreaming of the reunion he’d have with his sons, who, along with Mr. Watkins’s estranged wife, went missing from their Toronto home in 2009.

But when Mr. Watkins was finally reunited with his boys in late November, the encounter was bittersweet: he said they were distant, angry and confused.

Alexander and Christopher Watkins, it is alleged, were driven by their maternal grandfather from Toronto to Detroit, flew with their mother to Germany and travelled from there to Poland in March 2009.

In 2010, the RCMP added the boys’ mother, Edyta Watkins (who was allegedly going by her maiden name, Ustaszewski, in Poland), to its most-wanted list and issued a Canada-wide warrant for her arrest.

“It’s one thing when your children go missing in a city or in a province, let alone a country. Trying to find your kids internationally is incredibly difficult,” Mr. Watkins said in an interview Sunday from Poland.

This summer, he learned his sons were found living with their mother in Warsaw. Canada does not have an extradition treaty with Poland so the Polish government has not sent Ms. Watkins back to Canada.

Despite having won full custody of his children in an Ontario court almost three years ago, Mr. Watkins is now in Poland waging a custody battle against his wife all over again.

In March 2009, during one of her twice-a-month court-ordered weekend visitations, Ms. Watkins allegedly fled the country with her sons. Mr. Watkins, who said he had feared for years his wife might abduct their children, had added his children to a few missing children database watch lists as a precaution.

The boys’ school called one Monday morning to let him know they were absent.

“As soon as I got that call I knew the abduction was happening,” he said.

Without full recognition of the Canadian charges against his wife, Mr. Watkins said, the custody battle has become a matter of he said/she said.

He said his wife has “brainwashed” his children into fearing him. The handful of visits Polish courts have granted him with his sons have been unpleasant.

Staff from Foreign Affairs and the Canadian embassy in Poland have aided him in his mission to get his children back, he said. Representatives from the embassy have sat in on every court date.

In his view, York Regional Police (Mr. Watkins lives in Newmarket), the RCMP and Foreign Affairs have done all they can, but it isn’t enough. He has sent multiple letters to the Prime Minister in hopes that he will make an official request to the Polish government to send the children back to Canada.

Staff from the Prime Minister’s Office could not be reached for comment.

A judge is expected to make a decision on Dec. 15, but Mr. Watkins isn’t optimistic about the outcome either way.

“Because they’re still in the care and custody of my ex-wife, if the courts order my sons back to Canada, they can disappear. So it seems as though I’m doing a losing battle here either way,” he said.

After his children went missing, Mr. Watkins he scaled back his work in marketing to build a social media campaign to track down his children. In the past few weeks in Poland, he said he’s spent about $20,000 in transportation, legal fees, translation of court documents and hiring a security guard to accompany him on court-ordered visits with his children. It reveals the most frustrating thing about child abduction cases, he said.

“The cost to find missing kids falls on the left-behind parent.”

Source: Globe and Mail

Edyta's wanted poster:

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Edyta WATKINS

Wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for Abduction

Edyta Watkins
Edyta Watkins

On March 9th, 2009, a report was made to York Regional Police that children Alexander and Christopher WATKINS had been abducted by their mother, Edyta WATKINS. On April 2nd, 2009, a Canada-wide warrant was issued for Edyta Watkins for abduction. Investigation has revealed that the mother took the children to the United States where they boarded a plane and flew to Germany. Edyta Watkins has connections in Warsaw, Poland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and the United States. It is believed that the mother and children are currently in Poland.

Description

  • White Female
  • Date of birth: 1973-11-17
  • Height: 5'08" (173 cm)
  • Weight: 155 lbs (70 kg)
  • Hair: Brown
  • Eyes: Blue
  • Distinctive Characteristics:
    • Tattoos:
      • Lower back: Tribal design
      • Abdomen: Scorpion
  • Alias:
    • Ustaszewski, Edyt

TAKE NO ACTION TO APPREHEND THIS PERSON YOURSELF.

Working in conjunction with York Regional Police Service.

pdf iconPoster (414 KB)

Warning: Take no action to apprehend these persons yourself. Report any information to the nearest RCMP detachment or the police in your area or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. In the province of Québec, please call Info-Crime Québec at 1-800-711-1800.

Source: RCMP

Addendum: The Polish judge ordered that the children remain in Poland.

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Watkins Missing Children RE: ALEXANDER & CHRISTOPHER WATKINS

A Polish Judge ordered my two sons to STAY in Poland after being Internationally Abducted by their non-custodial Mother, using a "Cancelled" Canadian Passport to enter the U.S. then Germany, over 2.5 years ago and confirmed to be in hiding in Poland. Canada had already issued world-wide Interpol "Red Notice" for her apprehension which Polish government failed to act upon. My children are NOT coming home to Canada and are being left with the Abducting Mother in Poland who the Court recommends to continue to "Limit" her parental authority and assign a Court Guardian to the case and my sons. As you can understand, I am not feeling well, I am frustrated along with being very sad - I don't know what to say except that - I AM NOT GIVING UP ON MY SONS! I need everyone's support along with all your friends and the support of the Prime Minister and the Federal Government of Canada to send a STRONG message to the country of Poland in this complete injustice. An Appeal is being launched tomorrow. Due to Polish-to-English language translations, please give me a few days to consult with my lawyer and other experts before I can release a Press Release. I Love my sons and I thank you for ALL your support to help Bring Home Alexander & Christopher Watkins.

'Watkins Missing Children'

The Grandfather's Criminal Trial, who has been arrested and charged by York Regional Police with assisting in the International Child Abduction of my sons, continues on January 6, 2012 in Newmarket, Ontario.

Please HELP by inviting friends to this Facebook Page & Group:

FACEBOOK PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/Watkins.Missing.Children

FACEBOOK GROUP: (Share Links & Leave Comments) http://www.facebook.com/groups/206028506119189/

Source: Facebook

Chad Wells has scheduled a Rally to bring home ALEXANDER & CHRISTOPHER WATKINS to take place at the Polish Consulate Toronto, 2603 Lake Shore Boulevard West (east of Royal York Road) on Thursday December 22 from 11 am to 3 pm. For more, refer to Facebook.

Addendum: Here is news of the rally, along with some online postings by the mother Edyta Ustaszewska. There is a video of Stephen Watkins (mp4) at the rally and a related video of grandfather Ted Ustaszewski (mp4).

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Stephen Watkins at polish consulate

This afternoon a group of Canadians gathered at the Polish Embassy in Toronto to bring awareness about two Toronto boys who are part of a parental abduction.

Christopher and Alexander Watkins now live in Warsaw, Poland with their mother who took the boys illegally out of Canada two and a half years ago. Their father, Stephen Watkins, recently returned from Warsaw where a judge ignored the Hague Convention, allowing the boys to remain with their mother.

The rally was a peaceful process to bring awareness that Canadian children are not being allowed to return to their home here in Toronto.

Stephen Watkins was joined by Attila Vinczer who has been advocating on his benefit with European sources.

“We have two countries, both Canada and Poland, that officials have recognized that the kids are not doing well yet Poland refuses to allow the kids to come home,” said Vinczer.

The mother managed to leave Canada, the United States and into Europe on suspended identification during the middle of a parental abduction.


Stephen you are a sick person. The children are happy here in Poland. They don,t want to have anything to do with you. Alex right now is dictating that he wants you to leave him alone. Alex said “stop being a jerk we love our mother she is the best we love her forever and ever and ever and ever”. Stop blaming the Polish court, you are wrong they didn’t ignore the Hauge Convention the judge just used his intelligence to determine what is the best interest of the children. Too bad that you are not able to understand and use the same brain power.
Edyta

Source: newz4u.net


Edyta Ustaszewska leave my father alone. He has been nothing but a good citizen, a loving and caring father and grandfather. First check all your sources before you start dragging someone's good name through the dirt. I take all the resposibility for my actions. Keep up your mudslinging and you and your employer will awnser in court. What you are doing is wrong. Stephen is the wolf hidding in sheep's clothing.

Edyta Ustaszewska First , don't call my father a lying child abduction accomplice. Second you misspelled our family surname. Third , don't think Stephen is innocent. The children clearly stated their preference to stay with me including talking to a court psychologist about the harm that their "father" caused them over the years. My children are young but very intelligent and emotional. Again I say if they wanted to return to Canada they have the free will to do so. I however will not be returning to Canada anytime soon since Stephen red flagged me along with the unfair Canadian authorities which includes the court system. As far as my father goes he is innocent. Back off

Source: Facebook

More photos: [1] [2] [3] [4]. One of the participants got this note from his teacher the next day: Mrs Irwin.

Addendum: Charles Adler interviewed Stephen Watkins, June 2012. YouTube and local copy (mp4).

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International Parental Child Abduction - Canada Fighting to Get Kidnapped Kids Back from Poland

CHARLES ADLER (Sun News Media) Interview with Stephen Watkins - International Parental Child Abduction - The non-custodial mother of Stephen Watkins' children kidnapped the two boys from Canada and fled to Poland without custody. He's now fighting to get them back from Poland. The Polish Courts have refused to return the Canadian Children back to Canada using a loop hole of the Hague Convention Treaty.

After being Missing and searching for two and a half years, the two little boys were located in Warsaw, Poland as a result of a Polish School taking the abducting mother, Edyta Ustaszewska (Watkins) to Court to limit her parental rights due to child protection concerns and sending a court summons to the father to appear in Polish court but delayed telling the father by 11-months.

The Polish Court taking this action had NO idea that another Polish Court Ordered Polish Police to search Poland-wide in January 2010 for these Missing / Abducted children known through social media as the "Watkins Missing Children" and that the two boys were already flagged by the Polish Police, the recognized Polish National Missing Children organization "ITAKA", Europe's INTERPOL and the Canadian National Police (RCMP) as internationally abducted children.

The RCMP as issued a Canada-wide alert for Edyta Watkins (Ustaszewka) and her profile appears on the RCMP's Canada's Most Wanted online. Canada has also issued a world-wide INTERPOL "Red Notice" for her apprehension and "Yellow Notices" for the abducted boys.

In December 2011, the Polish Hague Convention court denied returning the Canadian boys back to Canada. Stephen Watkins appealed this case and on May 29, 2012 another Polish Court dismissed the appeal and denied the return of two Missing / Abducted Canadian children back to Canada from Poland.

Even the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper and the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk were asked a questions by the media on this high profile International Child Abduction case while both in Ottawa.

The father had already been granted sole custody of Alexander and Christopher Watkins, in January 2009 by the Canadian Courts prior to their kidnapping due to child protection concerns reported by a Canadian School as they realized that Edyta Ustaszewska (Watkins) was physically and mentally abusing the boys while in her care. The boys were apprehended by the Canadian Courts and by the Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto and taken away from the mother and the two boys had already been living with the father since 2007.

The two Canadian boys which were 4 years and 7 years old when abducted from Canada in March 2009 by their non-custodial mother, Edyta Ustaszewska ( Watkins ), using a Canceled Canadian Passport and the children's Canadian Passports which were repeatedly Ordered by the Ontario Courts to be handed over in what Canada's National Police ( RCMP ) stated in 2010 as one of Canada's worst International Child Abduction from Canada.

The father of the abducting mother has been arrested and charged for assisting in the abduction which is still before the criminal courts in Ontario, Canada.

The father plans to appeal this case in the European Union Courts.

Source: YouTube

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