- Swedish feminist group Kobra 'helping mum hide Aussie sons'
- The Herald Sun
- 29/01/2009 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: The Rooster ( 258 articles in 2009 )
A MELBOURNE father of two young boys believed to have been abducted by their mother in Sweden claims a taxpayer-funded feminist group called Kobra is involved.
Swedish authorities are investigating members of Kobra amid allegations the group is using a vast network of "safe houses" and covert techniques to help the mother and children evade police.
George Pesor last saw his sons Frank, 11, and Andre, 9, in September 2008 after the Family Court in Australia ordered they be allowed to travel to Sweden to visit their estranged mother Ann-Louise Valette.
The boys were supposed to return to Melbourne on October 11 but they disappeared along with Ms Valette, who has a warrant out for her arrest after being charged with their kidnapping.
Mr Pesor said he now believes his sons are living with their mother in Sweden in one of 30 secret hiding places he alleges are operated by Kobra.
"I am really worried for the children, the mother is capable of anything," he said.
Mr Pesor, who has hired a private investigator to try to find his sons, said police would "not stand a chance" against Kobra, given its alleged network of safe houses and the strong financial support it enjoys.
"I think (Kobra) is involved in the kidnapping," he said.
"It has been confirmed by a number of my sources. The most important source has had contact with a woman who used Kobra to kidnap, but then changed her mind.
"This group has 30 safe houses in Sweden alone, with contacts in Denmark and Germany."
Thomas Malmenby, a Swedish prosecutor in the case, has said Ms Valette likely had help to disappear.
"I don't think she can do it for a long time, because it must cost her," he said last December.
According to its website, Kobra is an organisation that "supports mothers who want to protect their children from abuse" and receives thousands of dollars in funding every year from the Swedish government.
Kobra members have allegedly accused Mr Pesor of abusing his children in statements made to Swedish police and Interpol.
The accusations of abuse, some of them graphic and bizarre, are also made on several blogs believed to have been written by Kobra supporters.
Mr Pesor has filed a formal legal complaint to police against the leaders of Kobra, accusing them of making false allegations about him.
Websites have also sprung up defending Mr Pesor, who has had custody of his sons since Ms Valette was declared an unfit parent by a Swedish court in 2004.
A Swedish blog in support of Mr Pesor claims that organisations like Kobra are expert at helping mothers on the run, providing them with new identities and finding private schools for their children to attend.
It says children taken into hiding by these women's rights groups are usually kept away from the police until they are 18 to 19 years old.
Swedish police would not comment on the investigation, but Mr Pesor said he had been informed they were questioning Kobra members.
Mr Pesor married Ms Valette in Sweden and lived there for 12 years before he filed for divorce five years ago. Their sons were born in Sweden but are Australian citizens.
Kobra recently received 77,000 Swedish Kronor ($14,000) in funding from the Swedish government to support its work for women's and children's rights.
More than 120 children are abducted from Australia each year. In close to three-quarters of the cases the mother is the main suspect.
Swedish authorities are investigating members of Kobra amid allegations the group is using a vast network of "safe houses" and covert techniques to help the mother and children evade police.
George Pesor last saw his sons Frank, 11, and Andre, 9, in September 2008 after the Family Court in Australia ordered they be allowed to travel to Sweden to visit their estranged mother Ann-Louise Valette.
The boys were supposed to return to Melbourne on October 11 but they disappeared along with Ms Valette, who has a warrant out for her arrest after being charged with their kidnapping.
Mr Pesor said he now believes his sons are living with their mother in Sweden in one of 30 secret hiding places he alleges are operated by Kobra.
"I am really worried for the children, the mother is capable of anything," he said.
Mr Pesor, who has hired a private investigator to try to find his sons, said police would "not stand a chance" against Kobra, given its alleged network of safe houses and the strong financial support it enjoys.
"I think (Kobra) is involved in the kidnapping," he said.
"It has been confirmed by a number of my sources. The most important source has had contact with a woman who used Kobra to kidnap, but then changed her mind.
"This group has 30 safe houses in Sweden alone, with contacts in Denmark and Germany."
Thomas Malmenby, a Swedish prosecutor in the case, has said Ms Valette likely had help to disappear.
"I don't think she can do it for a long time, because it must cost her," he said last December.
According to its website, Kobra is an organisation that "supports mothers who want to protect their children from abuse" and receives thousands of dollars in funding every year from the Swedish government.
Kobra members have allegedly accused Mr Pesor of abusing his children in statements made to Swedish police and Interpol.
The accusations of abuse, some of them graphic and bizarre, are also made on several blogs believed to have been written by Kobra supporters.
Mr Pesor has filed a formal legal complaint to police against the leaders of Kobra, accusing them of making false allegations about him.
Websites have also sprung up defending Mr Pesor, who has had custody of his sons since Ms Valette was declared an unfit parent by a Swedish court in 2004.
A Swedish blog in support of Mr Pesor claims that organisations like Kobra are expert at helping mothers on the run, providing them with new identities and finding private schools for their children to attend.
It says children taken into hiding by these women's rights groups are usually kept away from the police until they are 18 to 19 years old.
Swedish police would not comment on the investigation, but Mr Pesor said he had been informed they were questioning Kobra members.
Mr Pesor married Ms Valette in Sweden and lived there for 12 years before he filed for divorce five years ago. Their sons were born in Sweden but are Australian citizens.
Kobra recently received 77,000 Swedish Kronor ($14,000) in funding from the Swedish government to support its work for women's and children's rights.
More than 120 children are abducted from Australia each year. In close to three-quarters of the cases the mother is the main suspect.
Source: https://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24979360-663,00.html
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