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My total dissatisfaction at the
biased and uncooperative stance taken by Frau Eden-Reske representing the
City of Wilhelmshaven
Dear Mrs Viviers,
Following our long discussion on the telephone this morning I would
firstly like you to thank ISS for their assistance over the last year in
particular to thank Frau Weber of ISS Germany.
I do have as discussed the following that I would like you to take up
with ISS Germany on my behalf. I am most dissatisfied, disgusted, disappointed
and in general believe that both my children and I have been very unjustly
treated by members of the Jugendamt and others in Wilhelmshaven. I in Fact
could not feel more badly treated if I had been a Jew under Adolf Hitler's
Nazi regime. The reasons for me feeling the way that I do are multiple and
well grounded some of which I will go through in detail.
Firstly for a period of just over a year both you and I have gone to
considerable effort to try to normalise the relationship between Nicola
and myself, to gain information about my children as well as to ensure justice
for and access to them. During this time we have both vested considerable
time effort and emotional energy, we have written a considerable number of
letters to ISS asking for information and assistance from the Jugendamt Wilhelmshaven
as regards my children. I have also at great expense to myself both financially
and emotionally had to travel to Germany on two occasions recently. During
this time as I recall we have had no meaningful co-operation on the part
of the representative of the City of Wilhelmshaven Frau Eden-Reske and not
one of our very many requests for information have been answered. We have
mostly been simply ignored or fobbed off, this is totally unacceptable.
When we have had any response from Wilhelmshaven not once has any concern
for the wellbeing of my children been shown at all, or expressed by the
social worker concerned. Does the wellbeing, rights or interests of the children
matter at all to those concerned? Do the children ever get asked how they
feel about the Situation? Are they ever asked what their wishes may be?
Do they not have the right to be heard? Are the children not allowed justice?
While I was there on the 01.12.99 Sebastian aged 6 complained bitterly at
the unjust treatment of both Nicola and Frau Eden-Reske towards him. Both
parties tried their utmost to not hear what he had to say. I in fact had
to take up the matter with Frau Eden-Reske after the meeting to draw her
attention to it. All Frau Eden-Reske was concerned about was observing how
I looked at Nicola and what she could read into what she saw. Does it not
matter how much my children get hurt just as long as the adults can carry
on playing their power games against me, this very much includes Frau Eden-Reske
as well. The only reel concern of the representative of the Jugendamt has
been the relationship between Nicola's parents and I and to a lesser degree
Nicola's own concerns which when we asked for the grounding therefore we
were simply ignored once again.
Another disgusting, unjust and totally unacceptable incident is the
matter of the Police officer Has and his harassment of me on behalf of
the Jugendamt Wilhelmshaven in a manner reminiscent of the way Jews were
treated by the Gestapo under Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime. After I contacted
both parties concerned and notified them of my harassment and how I felt
about the matter, Herr Has was invited to and allowed to continue his harassment
of me in the Office of and under the supervision of Frau Terlinden. This
state of affairs I find totally unacceptable and intolerable which certainly
does not show that the social workers of the City of Wilhelmshaven are unbiased
towards me neither does it show any concern for the wellbeing or interests
of my children whatsoever. How would the people concerned feel if they were
treated as I was, would they want to work with me in future, would they trust
me to be unbiased in future would they accept the role that I had to play
in determining their con tact to their children? The court has placed in the
hands of these very people the right to determine my suitability to have access
to my children. Would the court if it knew the truth still trust them? Would
they accept this if it should have happened to them? What do these people
intend to do to repair the damage that they have done? I do want answers to
each and every one of these questions and for them to offer acceptable solutions
to the problem they have created. I must point out at this time that although
the way that I have been dealt with by both persons mentioned is inexcusable
and will not be tolerated, I am still prepared to work together with them
for the good of my children.
Would either Frau Terlinden or especially
Frau Eden-Reske under similar circumstances and after such treatment as I
have had to endure at their hands be so willing to continue working with
me ?
The next incident is also well documented having been taken up with
both my attorney Frau Ueberfeld-lang and Frau Eden-Reske personally. It
revolves around the interpretation of part of the court agreement obtained
by my attorney in December 1999. It is very clear and unambiguous what the
order says as regards access to the children. It states that supervised
access under the supervision of Frau Terlinden and in her absence Frau Eden-Reske
is allowed. Frau Eden-Eden Reske was determined to read into this that this
contact could only take place at the office of Frau Terlinden. As if in a
Jail! Why should I again be treated as a criminal? I know of no civilised
country in the world apart from Germany where people are tried and convicted
without a crime having been committed. When I finally was able to show her
that this was not the case she agreed and we arranged that we would take
the children to buy their Christmas presents and to visit the Christmas market.
Following this meeting I conferred with my attorney on this issue, she verified
that I had correctly interpreted the order. Frau Eden-Reske was extremely
quick to discuss this matter with Nicola after which she refused point blank
to carry out our agreement in defiance of the court order granting me permission
to do so because
Nicola was not happy with the arrangement. Again absolutely
no concern for the interests, or the well being or the desires of the children
was shown whatsoever. Why does Frau Eden-Reske appear to fall over backwards
to cater for die concerns of Nicola. Does not something lie behind this support
that we are not aware of as, it certainly does appear to be so extra ordinary
the lengths that Frau Eden-Reske will go to satisfy and support Nicola. On
the other hand she can find little or no time to take care of the requests
made to her by me via ISS neither does she show apparent interest in the
rights of my children. A copy of my letter dated 01.12.99 handed personally
to Frau Eden-Reske concerning this incident is included for you.
The next issue that I want to report on at this particular time is the
matter of my faxed letters dated 26.12.99, 02.01.00 to Frau Eden-Reske requesting
assistance because Nicola was not abiding by the agreement allowing me
to contact my children by phone and the faxed letters of 07.01.00, 11.01.00
and 13.01.00 requesting verification of receipt of my letters of 26.12.99
and 02.01.00. The contents of the letters is of no great concern, neither
what I requested of Frau Eden-Reske is of any importance at this time. The
fact that Frau Eden-Reske has again decided to simply ignore, firstly my
letters requesting her help as well as also ignoring my numerous letters requesting
receipt of my letters is totally unacceptable to me if I am to work together
with her. Again she shows no concern for the right of my children to be able
to speak to me. The possibility that Frau Eden-Reske has not been available
or has been out of town for her reason for failure to reply simply does not
exist because I have personally phoned her office to have the phone answered
by her.
Last but not least I have just received a very unpleasant and demanding
letter from the Jugendamt of City of Wilhelmshaven demanding large amounts
of money of me in amounts and under circumstances which are most unjust
and unreasonable. They have gone as far as to threaten criminal action against
me if I do not comply with their unreasonable demands. Do they not want
to understand that I am not in a position to pay what they demand, neither
are they prepared to follow the established legal channels. This is very
clearly the work of Frau Eden-Reske as she was the one who set the Gestapo
onto me and it also fits in very neatly with how she has influenced and
manipulated this whole affair refusing to co-operate with either the South
African Government or the International Social Services Germany branch.
I see very clearly what they are trying to do and that is to make quite
sure that both due to the lack of funds and by terror tactics are trying
to treated me in the hope that I will give up in my pursuit of justice and
to see my children. I will certainly not tolerate such terror tactics so
reminiscent of the Gestapo being carried out against me and my children by
the very people who have been entrusted with their wellbeing . Do these people
have no morals, feelings, sense of justice or any decency in them whatsoever?
What can we expect from them next?
My request to you is to please take
these matters up with ISS as a matters of extreme urgency, concern and disappointment
to me. Not to mention that it concerns the rights and the welfare of my
children which appears to have escaped the understanding of all concerned
in Wilhelmshaven especially those who have been put in the position of responsibility
to ensure that the welfare and concerns of the children are paramount. The
welfare of children always has preference to the wishes of the parents especially
when they are being used as pawns in a power struggle of one parent against
the other. Does no one in Wilhelmshaven understand the word justice nor
do they understand that the children also have rights and feelings. Has
any one taken the trouble to find out what the children feel about what
is going on or of their wishes and what is best for them. I see what is
going on in Wilhelmshaven as both indictments against the officials concerned
as well as the German nation as a whole. That such inhumanity and injustice
can be supported and propagated by the very people who have been put in
power to see that the likes of what is going on does not occur is hard for
me to comprehend and must come to an immediate end.
Can you please take these matters up with ISS as a matter of extreme
urgency as I will again be in Germany from the l April until 17April by
which time I would like these matters dealt with entirely to my satisfaction.
Yours faithfully
Michael Hickman
Cc.
Frau Eden-Reske
Frau Ueberfeld-Lang
Mr. Trikamjee
Herr Dik, German Embassy in South Africa
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