Court stops mother from relocating to US with daughter

A 25-year-old mother’s bid to relocate to the USA with her 10-year-old daughter has been brought to a halt by a Family Court after it was ruled that the proposed relocation "was not in the child’s best interests."

The mother, whose name has been banned by court order, told the court she wishes to further her studies in the USA, and that she requested that her daughter accompanies her.

The daughter told the court that in the event of her mother moving to the USA, she would want to stay with her and not her father. The move was however, heavily opposed by the daughter’s father who told the court that the minor has reached an age where she has friends in Malta, and where she needs stability. Consequently he argued, "relocating to the USA would not be in the child’s best interests."

In addition, the father told the court that since the mother had relatives in the USA, there was a risk that his daughter would not return to Malta, also explaining that he does not have the financial means to visit his daughter in the USA.

The young mother, who got pregnant at the age of 16 from a relationship with the defendant, hit out at her daughter’s father claiming that he had known from the outset that she wishes to move to the USA.

"I find it absurd that a man can get a 16 year old pregnant through lies and malicious intent, fully aware of her dreams for the future, and then go on to restrict her future possibilities and dreams while he goes on pleasantly with his life, “ the young mother said.

Court appointed psychological experts determined that the  daughter’s relocation to the USA is not in her best interest,  and held that if the daughter were to move, she would miss her maternal grandfather while her relationship with her father would suffer.

Taking the experts’ submissions into account, Judge Robert G Mangion decreed that relocating the minor to the USA is not in best interest of child’s best interest at this stage of her life.