“I Had No Choice”: Mother Who Fled Singapore with Daughter Before Custody Hearing Faces Arrest

SINGAPORE — A warrant for the arrest of a woman who fled Singapore with her nine-year-old daughter before a custody hearing has been issued. The 48-year-old mother has faced legal challenges after repeatedly violating court orders, which mandated that the father spend time with the child post-divorce and required her to take the child to meet with a High Court judge.

In a judgment released on July 25, Justice Choo Han Teck stated that the mother remains “a fugitive of her own volition.” He noted that she has not returned to Singapore since the warrant was issued in May. The judge indicated that if the woman applies to rescind the warrant, it would likely be granted if she promises to return to Singapore and bring the child to court.

The warrant caps a lengthy dispute regarding asset division and custody arrangements. The Singaporean mother married an American doctor in 2013, and the couple initially lived in the United States. Following the breakdown of their marriage, she returned to Singapore with their daughter in 2018 and began divorce proceedings.

Initially, joint custody was awarded to both parents, with the mother retaining care and control of the child. The father’s access included scheduled video calls and three weeks of visitation during the summer holidays. However, the father claimed that the mother was uncooperative, even alleging that she engaged in parental alienation by cutting off communication during video calls.

As the situation escalated, the father petitioned the court to modify the access orders. Justice Choo ordered the mother to take the child to the United States for a visit over Christmas 2022, and to bring the child for an interview in February. The mother, however, failed to comply with these orders and did not bring the child for the scheduled interviews.

Days before a May 8 hearing related to these issues, the mother emailed the father suggesting she had taken the child to France and later claimed they could not return to Singapore due to the child’s illness, without providing any medical documentation.

After the mother failed to appear in court, a warrant was issued for her arrest on May 8, which was upheld during a subsequent adjourned hearing on May 12. Justice Choo criticized her defiance and stated, “I had no alternative but to order a warrant for the mother’s arrest.”

He also instructed the Child Protective Service (CPS) to take the child into custody upon the mother’s return to Singapore. This was due to the mother’s impending arrest and the need for an interim arrangement for the child.

In July, both parents attended a hearing via Zoom, during which the mother refused to disclose her location, citing the arrest warrant against her. The father requested sole custody, and the judge granted this request, expressing confidence that the father would honor the terms of access now that the roles had reversed.

Lawyer Gloria James-Civetta, representing the father, explained that unless the father can locate his ex-wife and daughter in a country that recognizes Singapore’s court orders, he may have to wait until the mother voluntarily returns to Singapore for the orders to take effect.