Take Heart

Ken Thompson

With Special Guests:

• Ken Thompson and
• Maggie Dent.

This is our second-last show for the year, so best wishes of the season to all our listeners. Remarkably, DOTA is now eight years old. In the coming year we are keen to expand our coverage of national and international events and encourage contributions from community groups, organisations and individuals around the country. If you would like to contribute material to Dads On The Air, please contact us through the website.

First up we talk with Ken Thompson, the NSW Deputy Fire Commissioner, who has come to understand what many men in this country experience through the loss of his son Andrew.

In a rare move, the Family Court of Australia has issued a Publication Order enabling the release of information about an international parental child abduction.

Andrew John Thompson, now aged four, was illegally abducted by his mother Melinda Thompson (also known as Melinda Stratton) from Australia in April this year.

Melinda boarded a Singapore Airlines flight in Sydney with Andrew and flew to Frankfurt, Germany. This is a criminal offence under the Family Law Act.

They were a ‘no show’ on a booked return flight to Australia and have since disappeared. Melinda’s family has told police and others that they have no idea of their whereabouts and that Melinda had been researching ‘safe havens’ in the weeks prior to the abduction.

The abduction took place shortly after an investigation by a leading child and family psychiatrist found Melinda has an underlying mental state that affects her judgement and her ability to parent effectively.

The Court has also ordered that in any publication a warning must be issued stating that no one is to approach Melinda Thompson and that any information should be provided immediately to local police and/or Interpol.

The Court did this because of alarming concerns raised by the psychiatrist about the potential for harm to Andrew or for self-harm by the mother.

The Australian Government has conducted an extensive international search for the last seven months. Interpol has issued alerts in 187 countries and the Hague Convention on International Child Abductions has been activated.

Both Andrew and Melinda are Australian Citizens, travelling on Australian Passports.

Andrew’s father Ken Thompson said, “The Family Court of Australia took the unusual step of issuing a Publication Order because of extreme concerns for Andrew and the absence of any information about his whereabouts for such a long time”.

“The emotional effects of international parental child abduction are known to be severe and life-long. Andrew needs to be reunited with his family, his friends, his home, and his culture,” Andrew’s father said today. “I am appealing to the media to raise public awareness in Australia and overseas about his disappearance so that he can be found safe and well and returned home as quickly as possible” he said.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Andrew and Melinda should contact local Police, Interpol, or the Australian Federal Police on +61 (0)2 6126 7777. If you wish to assist Ken Thompson in the search for his son Andrew by taking part in an email-circulation effort, please call +61 (0)417 416 024.

Maggie Dent is an author, publisher and a parenting and resilience specialist. She runs seminars for teachers and parents nationally and internationally to increase awareness about the healthy raising of children in our chaotic world. She also writes a free email newsletter that promotes the healthy raising of children. Maggie was interviewed recently on DOTA about her new book Real Kids in an Unreal World: How to build resilience and self esteem in today’s children.

This week we play Maggie’s keynote address from the Men’s Advisory Network Second National Conference held recently in Fremantle, Western Australia.

Titled Dear Boys: About the Healthy Mothering of Boys, her poignant and often hilarious keynote explores the vital role in boys’ lives of healthy mothering. It is especially helpful for mothers and teachers who are confused by the boys in their lives. The impact of abandonment, avoidance and misunderstanding can shape a boy for the rest of his life in very negative ways. This will show you how to engage, connect and enjoy these interesting lads from early years to adulthood. Maggie is a mother of four sons.

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