Mary Kent's story (1/2)-daughter taken away while on holiday

In July I was interviewing a lot of people in Gibraltar. I asked about the government, language, relations with Spain and Britain, and I met a woman named Mary Kent. While on vacation/holiday in Gibraltar with her husband and 6-year-old daughter, they got some drinks at Casemates Square and were joking around loudly. The police came and arrested them both for public drunkenness, and took their daughter away for the night. When the adults were released the next morning, they said that they were holding the daughter for 48 hours. That 48 hours turned into well over a year, and as far as I know Mary is still unable to get her daughter back.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Gibraltar
• injustice
• police
• kidnap
• kidnapping
• news

[garrettgibbons]

Kidnapping is a dependent on your point of view.

[papewurde]

Mary is my sister, and I do not know all the details, but there is no reason why Megan should still be over there.Our mother has spent thousands of pounds going to Gibraltar in order to gain custody of Megan. The British authorities O.K.'d it months ago. My mother has to ask permission to visit her, and when she does she sees a withdrawn,scared girl. SURELY if the Social services after a year of investigating the family, decided there is no threat, Megan should be sent home.

[JimWatt]

The Government of Gibraltar is most certainly NOT in the business of kidnapping children.

As a taxpayer I object to my money being spent in looking after irresponible tourists children. However someone has to and the well being of the child is paramount.

The authorities do not take this sort of action without having good reasons. If you think otherwise, I suggest you contact your local MP who would be able to do somehing.

Messages and videos on youtube are clearly not going to help.

[surferchrishotmail]

My mother is a very intelligent woman, a brilliant mother and has an amazing love for nature and people alike until this happened.

My mum now suffers post traumatic stress and a black hole in her heart, what happened to her (and my family and i) has torn her to pieces and has left only the shadow of the woman she used to be.

i havnt seen my little sister for 3 and a half years.

[surferchrishotmail]

i am this womans son and older brother to the little girl.

i am going to say this very clearly:

protecting a girl that doesnt need to be protected is KIDNAPPING.

[surferchrishotmail]

i am her son and the little girl is my 10 year old little sister taken away at 7 years old.

protecting a child that doesnt need to be protected is KIDNAPPING.

[JimWatt]

No, Kidnapping is a criminal activity.

Protecting children is not a crime, it is what responsible Governments do.

[lofasyinn]

I would like to congratulate you on on a great hard hitting journalistic piece. I however think your title is at best sensationalist and at worst defamatory and slanderous to the relevant authorities. If you are quoting what she said at least put it in " " quote marks. Clearly no one has been kidnapped as she goes on to admit that her child was taken into care.

I think she has a drink problem.

[esotericwhale]

This is terrifying.