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Mother heartbroken as Chicago toddler sent home to Ireland to live with father

Chicago mother Mary Redmond to appeal against World Court ruling after 5-year-old sent to Ireland

PATRICK COUNIHAN,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Monday, July 16, 2012, 8:09 AM

Updated Monday, July 16, 2012, 8:26 AM

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Mary and Jack Redmond

Photo by Family handout

A Chicago mother says she is heartbroken after her five-year-old boy was sent back to Ireland to live with his father.

Mary Redmond and her former Irish partner Derek had battled for custody of their son Jack.

Mary Redmond told the Daily Mail: “I told Jack he has to go to Ireland for a while. Grandma will be with him, and I told him if things don’t work out, I’m just going to have to go over there. I can’t be away from him.”

Redmond added: “I expect his life in Ireland to be very confusing and hurtful to him because he doesn’t understand why I am not by his side.

His grandmother Peggy Redmond said: “He is so loved and so taken care of, and he belongs home in America, and I don’t know why America isn’t keeping him home.”

Although Jack was born in America, he has dual citizenship and is subject to Irish laws.

Although the couple never married, Derek Redmond filed for joint custody of their son after their split.

An Irish court and the World Court in Holland have both ruled that Ireland has jurisdiction over Jack’s fate.

Both courts ordered that he leave the only home he has ever known and join his father.

A United States federal judge has also ruled against 34-year-old Mary Redmond, ordering her to abide by the Irish ruling and return to Ireland to live and share custody of the boy with his father.

But Mary Redmond could face jail time in Ireland after having been found in contempt of court.

The Daily Mail reports, “When Derek Redmond filed for joint custody of his son, Mary Redmond had initially accepted the Irish’s court ruling, but instead brought her son back to the U.S.

“However, the judge’s order was for Mary Redmond to settle her affairs in Illinois and return to Ireland to live in the tiny village of Ballymurphy, and have her son attend a two-room schoolhouse.

“Under the ruling, the custodial parent would change nightly. In other words, Jack is supposed to live with his mother one night, his father the next.

“Because the 34-year old woman defied the judge’s order by refusing to return to Ireland with her son, she was held in contempt, which means that Miss Redmond will be arrested the moment she sets foot on Irish soil.”

Nster.com

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Anne63 | Jul 18, 2012, 12:59 PM EDT

The mother in this case is playing the media. The family were residing in Ireland when the parents relationship broke down. That's why the Irish court system had jurisdiction. When the custody case didnt go her way she abducted the child and brought him to America.

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Cattyjack | Jul 17, 2012, 08:04 AM EDT

The child was born in the US and that is where he should stay. If his father wants to be a part of his life he should be in the US.

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mreinhar2001 | Jul 16, 2012, 01:30 PM EDT

irislegalperson: Just curious as to where you got the idea that an American elementary school has thrity classrooms in it? It si an intriguing thought.

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mreinhar2001 | Jul 16, 2012, 01:29 PM EDT

This is sad on both sides. The irish-Americans would like to see the cjhild raised with his mum in the US while the only-Irish would like the child raised by his father in Eire. Because most (not all it looks like) people see value in both countries, it sheds light on the American children taken to live in the Middle East with thier dads. Racism and politics in those cases indicate that the child should be raised in the states by the white parent. But is that true, Sadly, this incident highlights the dichotomy of beliefs so that "right" is only in the eye of the beholder. I am sure both parents would want the boy to be near. I wish somethingcould be arranged if only for the sake of the child.

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irislegalperson | Jul 16, 2012, 01:19 PM EDT

Give the dad a chance to be with his son. I admire him for his fight for his son. Sounds to me that Mom may be putting her son in the middle here when it probably has nothing to do with her son and more to do with her and her personal feelings for the dad. Custody battles are ugly and should be avoided at all costs for the sake of children. There is nothing wrong with this little lad going back to " the tiny village of Ballymurphy, and have him attend a two room schoolhouse"?? I wonder would it be better for him to attend a public school or private in Chicago with more than 30 rooms and 30 to each class? To the writer of this story that is a bit ignorant on your behalf. What does it matter where the lad goes to school as long as he is getting a good education and love from both his parents and he will get a good education in Ireland. Hope his mom can adjust and move to Ireland for her son and have the family together. The courts have ruled regardless who is right or wrong and now its time to move on. Ireland is not such a bad place to have-to move to.

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johng | Jul 16, 2012, 12:16 PM EDT

Derek Redmond is the most gentle and loving father any child could ever have, he has never harmed anyone. I know Derek for the last 4 years as we have both fought together to have our sons returned to their homes. All he wants is for his son to have both his parents in his life. Derek and Jack have suffered greatly in the last 4 years at the hands of Mary and her family. She stopped Jack from having any sort of a meaningful relationship with his father. She has blackened Dereks good name by wrongfully accusing him of terrible things, none of which she was ever able to prove in any court. She has financially destroyed him and broken his heart. The courts got it right, she maybe able to fool the media but she didn't fool the Irish courts or the American courts. I got my son back too and now our two boys will play together this summer for the first time. Something we thought impossible 4 years ago, but it's amazing what a fathers love can do, we have been through hell and back. Well done Derek and congratulations to Jack for having one of the best Dads on the planet. Thankfully the good guys normally win, honesty always win, liars will always be found out. Mary if you are reading this, stop fighting, the Irish court is not going to lock you up as you claim, come back to Ireland and be a mother to your child, he won't be a child for very long and he needs both his parents.

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eiregirl | Jul 16, 2012, 08:52 AM EDT

Terrible story. I feel so bad for this child. Woman...go face the courts, serve your time and be with your son. She had to have known this would happen when she decided to go leave Ireland with him? I don't know anything about International law, but did the father get the boy because he is the father and he is living in Ireland? Someone please explain this to me as the article only said that it was under Irish jurisdiction therefore that's why he has to be in Ireland...thx

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