Candice Cohen-Ahnine’s story is first and foremost one of a struggle for her rights and the rights of her child. And a story about a kidnapping by a Parent.
The Story
Candice had a daughter named Aya with a Saudi prince. Because of difficulties in their relationship, including domestic violence, Candice decided to leave for France with their daughter. As the tension dissipated, however, she agreed to return to Saudi Arabia, so that the father could see young Aya.
When she arrived in Saudi Arabia, her passport was confiscated, and she was illegally confined to a room at the Palace without food or water and in lamentable hygienic conditions.
Her daughter had been taken from her, and when the young girl tried to find her mother and bring her some food, she was beaten. Candice managed to escape and took shelter at the French Embassy, where she filed charges for abduction of a minor and for the violence she had suffered. She later learned that these charges had not been officially filed.
The Saudi royal family then accused Candice of having renounced her Islamic faith and converted to Judaism, which was punishable by death. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs extracted her in 2009. She reluctantly left her daughter behind in Saudi Arabia.
Fighting Back
Since 2009, Candice has battled tirelessly for her daughter. She described her struggle in her book, “Rendez-moi ma fille” (“Give Me Back My Daughter”). Candice’s first victory came on January 12, 2012, when the Paris High Court delivered a judgment giving Candice “exclusive parental authority” of her daughter, and set “the primary residence” as the mother’s.
A few weeks before seeing her daughter again for the first time after fighting for three years, Candice tragically passed away. Now Candice’s family is continuing the fight. As of today, Aya is still in Saudi Arabia.
Kidnapping by a Parent
Beyond the personal tragedy of Candice, her family, and her daughter, this story raises the issue of parents who kidnap their own children, eluding judicial decisions and neglecting the child’s best interests.
For exemple, article 373-2 of the French Civil Code states that “both father and mother must maintain a personal relationship with the child and respect the child’s relationship with the other parent.” If parents cannot agree, one of the parents can refer the case to a family court judge, who rules “according to the requirements of the child’s best interests.”
Despite this, some parents move to a different country with their child, without notifying their ex-spouse. A rise in mixed marriages, divorces with conflict in interests, and open borders increase the chances of a child being moved illegally.
To learn more about the right of the child to have a family, please click here.
