Hero charity boss who reunited snatched girl with her mum is banged up in Thai jail

Fears growing for Sean Felton, who founded the Abducted Angels charity to help parents

By Mike Lockley

 

Sean Felton with his son Jobe at home in Staffordshire

 

A charity boss who played a key role in the fight to return an abducted schoolgirl to her mother in Birmingham is languishing in a Thai prison.

 

Sean Felton, from Norton Canes, near Cannock , is enduring the cramped conditions and sweltering heat of notorious Sakhon Nakon prison after being arrested while helping another desperate parent find his child.

 

The 46-year-old founded the Abducted Angels charity and played a key role in the battle to reunite Mariam Soliman with her mother Gillian in Birmingham in 2016. Norton Canes councillor Zaphne Stretton, who has received a message from Sean, said: “He’s not doing too good.

 

"He’s not in the best of minds.” Sean, a painter and decorator, has been holed-up in Sakon Nakhon since February 21 after he and Edinburgh dad Jodie Smith were arrested at Bangkok airport.

 

Full story: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/hero-charity-boss-who-reunited-14427584

 

-- Birmingham Live 2018-03-19

I don't understand why he would not have been given bail? ?

who has legal custody of the child,  the mother or father, lot of info not included in this so its a bit hard to see who is the one at fault. If the father has been granted legal custody and  the mother abducted the child then she should be in jail, again really poor reporting but what can we expect

" ... Jodie then went to the city’s sheriff court earlier this month (FEB) and won a temporary custody order which ruled the youngster should be returned home."

 

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2278541/edinburgh-dad-jodie-smith-jail-thailand-rescue-son-joleon-kidnap/

 

But that is a custody order valid for UK and (I would presume) not in Thailand once the boy has legally entered Thailand.

7 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

But that is a custody order valid for UK and (I would presume) not in Thailand once the boy has legally entered Thailand.

Quote

I don't understand why he would not have been given bail? ?

He needed to domesticate the UK custody order in Thailand.  There's no reciprocity treaty as Thailand is not a member of the Hague Convention (due to being on the wrong side in WW2).  He would probably need to go through a child custody court trial in Thailand.  Instead, he took a shortcut commonly known as "parental kidnapping".  There's no self-help remedy for recovering a child in a country that hasn't recognized your legal custody.  No bail for you and no sympathy from me.

Per the above: http://www.tilleke.com/resources/thailand-child-abduction-act-legal-recourse-parents

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Sean Felton, from Norton Canes, near Cannock , is enduring the cramped conditions and sweltering heat of notorious Sakhon Nakon prison after being arrested while helping another desperate parent find his child.

the new.modern thailand; 0.4

That is what you get if you work outside the system. It sucks to do it the right way.. takes time and money but you don't end up in jail.

What did they expect breaking the law, you cannot just take other people and then expect to be treated like a hero.

As a former chef, all I have to say. Don´t put your fingers in another chefs soup.

3 hours ago, greenchair said:

I don't understand why he would not have been given bail? ?

Sounds like he's having problems raising the bail money: 

 

 

"Scottish newspapers have reported Jodie Smith’s family are now attempting to raise £5,000 to free him from Sakon Nakhon."

(source article)

6 minutes ago, nausea said:

Sounds like he's having problems raising the bail money: 

 

 

"Scottish newspapers have reported Jodie Smith’s family are now attempting to raise £5,000 to free him from Sakon Nakhon."

(source article)

Oh about 300000 

14 hours ago, greenchair said:

I don't understand why he would not have been given bail? ?

cos the Thai government dont want him doing this work he doing i suspect.

Kidnapping children in a foreign country, no matter how noble you think your motives and justifications are, is a dumb idea. There are three sides to every story, my side, your side, and the truth. The story says the guy knew the dangers and consequences, so he shouldn't have too much trouble relaxing in a Thai prison while his case progresses.

they certainly wouldn't treat a soi dog that way. Too bad the bigger picture seems to always get missed.

 

1 hour ago, catman20 said:

cos the Thai government dont want him doing this work he doing i suspect.

He's not been convicted, confiscation of his passport is standard. The child is British. She'll end up a hooker on a pole before she is 16 if she remains here. 

Half cast children with only the Thai parent, are not accepted and don't do well in Thailand. The man had full custody by the courts of the child. The mother abducted her illegally. 

16 hours ago, greenchair said:

I don't understand why he would not have been given bail? ?

simple, he made the Thai's LOSE FACE! they can put up with anything but loosing face!

 

No good deed goes unpunished in Thailand.

13 hours ago, Get Real said:

As a former chef, all I have to say. Don´t put your fingers in another chefs soup.

So.... I guess you did? as being a "former" chef now? LOL

if he was in this business, it was a real dumb move to have his photo published! did he not think the thai's would not take action?

 

He's not been convicted, confiscation of his passport is standard. The child is British. She'll end up a hooker on a pole before she is 16 if she remains here. 
Half cast children with only the Thai parent, are not accepted and don't do well in Thailand. The man had full custody by the courts of the child. The mother abducted her illegally. 

The child is a boy.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

In my opinion, if its in the long-term best interest of the child, its always better to make the mother an offer she can't refuse to get the papers signed for custody and perhaps a brighter future for the kid. One thing is for sure, I would keep any annual visitation that might be offered to a period in another Asian country and shout the ticket and stay close. 

14 hours ago, moe666 said:

What did they expect breaking the law, you cannot just take other people and then expect to be treated like a hero.

Get real!!! Law, Thailand! Makes me wonder which planet!

45 minutes ago, greenchair said:

He's not been convicted, confiscation of his passport is standard. The child is British. She'll end up a hooker on a pole before she is 16 if she remains here. 

Half cast children with only the Thai parent, are not accepted and don't do well in Thailand. The man had full custody by the courts of the child. The mother abducted her illegally. 

The child in this case is a boy. (as per Brewster above). From the Thai POV, the mother entered Thailand with the child legally and what court orders on custody may have been issued in UK are moot.

 

And to a post yesterday "What did they expect breaking the law" I presume they thought they could exit Thailand with the young boy before anyone at BKK airport knew things were amiss.

Edited March 20, 20188 yr by JLCrab

32 minutes ago, Sadanava said:

So.... I guess you did? as being a "former" chef now? LOL

Might be, or I just got tired of the work. Your choice. 

17 hours ago, greenchair said:

I don't understand why he would not have been given bail? ?

Not Thai and certainly not connected.

5 minutes ago, greenchair said:

Well,he'll end up a hooker with a pole up his actions require smooth entrances.

The mother was employed in UK and may choose on her own to bring to boy back to UK.

1 hour ago, greenchair said:

He's not been convicted, confiscation of his passport is standard. The child is British. She'll end up a hooker on a pole before she is 16 if she remains here. 

Half cast children with only the Thai parent, are not accepted and don't do well in Thailand. The man had full custody by the courts of the child. The mother abducted her illegally. 

 

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

The child is a boy.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

They have -poles- for young men and Lady boys in Thailand too!  lol  

They both including the Hero knew they were doing wrong trying to by -Pass the official Thai authorities and take the child out of Thailand 

if they had succeeded  would make the National papers in the UK and a other Hero would be in the making ( Hero a very over used word these days ) 

both now getting their just desserts 

16 hours ago, zaphod reborn said:

He needed to domesticate the UK custody order in Thailand.  There's no reciprocity treaty as Thailand is not a member of the Hague Convention (due to being on the wrong side in WW2).  He would probably need to go through a child custody court trial in Thailand.  Instead, he took a shortcut commonly known as "parental kidnapping".  There's no self-help remedy for recovering a child in a country that hasn't recognized your legal custody.  No bail for you and no sympathy from me.

Not sure what you are referring to here. The "Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction" has nothing to do with which side you were on in ANY war. It is a method for the custodial parent to recover their child from the non custodial parent who fled to another member country. It went into effect in December, 1983. Although not an original signatory to the convention, Thailand acceded to, and became a member of the convention on 1, November, 2002.

 

We are still missing some info such as who the legal custodial parent is, and the age of the child. The Hague Convention only applies to children under the age of 16.