Foster child’s mother back in court

A mother who lost custody of her child was arrested Sunday following a complaint that she abducted her own son from state foster care, with reports suggesting she had tried to reunite with her son previously but a judge ordered her to stay away pending an abuse trial.

Police on Sunday morning arrested a woman, described by local media as a 34-year-old foreign national, a day after she was reportedly seen running away with her 8-year-old son from a local park, near a state foster care facility where he had been staying for at least over a year.

Local media said a Child Services official filed an abduction complaint with police after the boy, who was playing in the park Saturday afternoon, was seen running towards his mother and the two left the area.

Police confirmed the woman was apprehended Sunday morning in Limassol, with additional reports saying officers made the arrest in her own apartment. It was not clear whether her son was present or whether she was handcuffed.

Last year, a Slovakian woman fitting the description of the mother was arrested after the then-33-year-old suspect went outside the foster care facility and waited for her then-7-year-old son’s bus from school.

Media reports said a judge had previously ordered the boy be placed in state foster care, pending a child abuse case in court where the mother is a defendant.

Sources told Knews that the state has been awarded full custody of the child on a temporary basis, pending the trial of the mother.

Police said the mother was expected to appear before a local judge on Sunday morning at 10am. It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors would seek further detention or file a criminal court case immediately.

No information has been provided over the abuse allegations against the mother. Reports last year said the father was abroad while it was not clear how long the boy had been staying at the facility.