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Court Slammed By Maltese Single Mother In Cry For Help

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A Maltese single mother has launched a “cry for help” online after the court refused a request to amend her ex-husband’s child visitation rights to allow her to work.

“I was recently offered a full-time job, enabling me to be independent and provide for my children without resorting to social benefits. Now I finish work at 4.30 pm instead of 3pm. My children’s father access starts at 3pm,” she wrote. 

The court denied her request to change access times to accommodate her new working hours. She now feels she must either risk losing her new job by leaving early or disobey the court decree and end up in prison. In this case, she says, Facebook would quickly be flooded with petitions for a Presidential pardon “when this situation could have been easily avoided”.

Dorianne Sammut’s detailed Facebook post already got the attention of at least one  Member of Parliament, who suggested bringing the matter up in Parliament. 

Sammut used her post increase awareness on a system which she believes to be failing women. 

“Lots of woman are facing such difficulties every day,” Sammut told us. “Woman rights are still medieval.”

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Well – it partly worked. Besides a flood of support, and a call from an MP, her manager at work swiftly contacted her to say he would help her out with the timing issue.

“I’ve been fighting for four years now,” Sammut told us, detailing her experience with a turbulent separation process.”Now I’ve got a good response.” 

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Sammut’s mission is now to continue to tell her story. She would like to show the Maltese public the state in which she and her children are living as a result of how her separation proceedings transpired. 

“We have a few properties that we attained during the marriage, of which the father rents and I get nothing,” Sammut told us. “I’ve made three court requests to live in one of our properties whilst my ex-husband lives in the matrimonial house. All were rejected.”

“I have a thirteen-year old girl and an eight-year old boy – all of us sleep in same bed.” 

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Have you gone through a similar experience? Write to us about it at [email protected]

READ NEXT: These Are The Issues Women In Malta Need To Discuss In 2017

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