Media Advisory
Press Briefing on the Helen Gavaghan story
Friday, September 30th, 8:30am
Outside the Palais de Justice (Notre Dame Street entrance), Montreal
With: friends and supports of Helen Gavaghan; Legal counsel
Helen Gavaghan and her daughter Pearl were detained by Montreal police on September 16th. The pair were forced to flee England in 2008, after the family court system in that country failed to protect Pearl from harm.
After their arrest, Ms. Gavaghan and Pearl spent the night in a detention centre in Laval. The following day, child protection officers forcibly removed the girl, who was clinging to her mother. They brought her to a group home and led Ms. Gavaghan to believe she would be able to see her daughter soon. Instead, the seven year old was handed over to an abusive father she hadn't seen in three years and flown out of the country, without any opportunity to speak with her mother.
In a context in which family courts and child protection regularly fail to protect mothers and children in situations of abuse, media are urged to investigate why Ms. Gavaghan, who is known to be a caring and responsible mother, went to such extraordinary lengths to protect her child.
Montreal friends and supporters of Ms. Gavaghan and Pearl as well as legal counsel will give a brief statement to the media before Ms. Gavaghan's court appearance tomorrow.
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Source:
Friends and supporters of Ms. Gavaghan and Pearl
Media contacts:
Anna Malla
514 516 2793
Doug Johnson Hatlem
416-420-2113
