Web posted at 7:00 am CET March
7, 2002
International court battle
Mother wins kids’ custody
Staff Reporter
A woman was yesterday awarded custody of her children from her estranged
husband and authorised to return with them to the United States.
The court, presided by Mr Justice Raymond Pace, also
confirmed the order given by the Court of Common Pleas of Monroe County on 6 November 2001
to the extent that the two children are entrusted to the mother.
Monique Grecula, 32, from France, and her husband Ronald, 65, from the US, had been
battling it out in the Maltese courts for the custody of their children.
Ms Grecula said she and her husband were still legally married but were effectively
separated. They have two children, Berenger Jamie Grecula, 10 and Emilie Gigi Grecula,
aged three. Mr Grecula works as an engineer with a US company and is carrying out research
in Malta. Monique Grecula claimed her husband fled the US two years ago, taking their two
children with him. She managed to trace them in Malta and travelled here to fight for
their custody. She is claiming that Ronald Grecula is a fugitive from US justice and a
number of warrants for his arrest were issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Ms Grecula, a flight attendant, is claiming that a court ruling by the Court of Common
Pleas of Monroe County, awarded the couple joint custody of the children, but the mother
was nominated as primary carer by the court on 26 October 2000.
She explained to the court that she and her husband had agreed to share custody of the
children over the holidays, and as she had decided to have them for Christmas 2000, her
husband was to take them for the US national Thanksgiving holiday.
She said her husband disappeared with the children on 26 November 2000 and left the US
without a trace. She reported the matter to the police and when Mr Grecula could not be
traced, the Monroe Court withdrew the dual custody order and awarded her sole custody of
the children.
Ms Grecula said she now lives with her boyfriend.
When Ms Grecula filed her application, her husband was arrested under suspicion of being
an illegal immigrant.
Dr Josie Pace appeared for Mr Grecula while Dr Aaron Mifsud Bonnici and legal procurator
Sharon Mizzi appeared for Ms Grecula.
