The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City has chosen to uphold the ruling of a French court that granted a Vietnamese mother custody of her daughter after the child was taken away at infancy by the French father.
The decision was made on Wednesday, seven months after 32-year-old mother Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen filed for recognition and implementation of the French ruling in Vietnam.
According to Huyen, she had met French businessman Ste’phane Azais prior to 2013, and the two were involved in a romantic relationship.
In 2014, Huyen gave birth to their first and only child, Thien Kim (Sarah), and had her birth papers done by French consular officials in Vietnam.
However, when the girl was only three months old, Azais took her away to France in a deliberate attempt to separate her from her mother.
Huyen followed Azais to France and pressed charges against him at a court in Albi, a commune in southern France.
Last June, the French court ruled in favor of Huyen, demanding Azais immediately hand over the girl to his mother, whom it granted the right of custody.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen and her daughter Thien Kiem (Sarah) in France. Photo: Courtesy of Huyen
However, Azais left France for Vietnam with Thien Kim immediately after the ruling in order to avoid compliance.
Huyen therefore presented the case before the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City, requesting that the court recognize the previous ruling by the French court and make it executable across Vietnam.
Azais, who now resides in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 2, refused to show up at the court session last Wednesday to hear the case.
The city court as such ruled to uphold the ruling by the court in Albi based on actual circumstances and mutual legal assistance treaties signed by Vietnam and France.
According to the ruling, Huyen will be granted custody of the couple’s daughter while Azais will be responsible for providing monetary support for the girl’s education at a local international school.
Azais will be granted visitation rights.
Speaking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper after Wednesday’s court session, Huyen said she will request immediate execution of the ruling once it comes into effect.
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