Found Safe Canada - O’Driscoll-Zak sisters, 2 & 5, abduction by aunt & grandmother, Cochrane, 12 Mar 2021

[otto]

Aunt does not have her own life??

Perhaps they have received bad advice.

 

[Jsizzle]

Aunt does not have her own life??

That was my thought too. They can’t be gone forever. Does she not have a job or career? Friends? Other family? A house? I don’t get it

 

[MistyWaters]

That was my thought too. They can’t be gone forever. Does she not have a job or career? Friends? Other family? A house? I don’t get it

I agree, they can’t be gone forever unless the mother plans to sever ties with her children.

It’s not everyday that a grandmother and aunt would even agree to hide away with two children....thank goodness. Who’s idea was it? I don’t get it either.

 

[otto]

I agree, they can’t be gone forever unless the mother plans to sever ties with her children.

It’s not everyday that a grandmother and aunt would even agree to hide away with two children....thank goodness. Who’s idea was it? I don’t get it either.

They presumably have a lawyer. Perhaps there was some sort of misunderstanding regarding whether it was an advisable idea. I hope RCMP have checked with their lawyer to determine whether that conversation occurred at any time.

 

[CanadianSleuther]

Is there a vehicle description at all? I'm wondering if the grandmother and/or aunt's vehicle is still at home? And also beside mom, when was the last time anyone has seen any of them before March 12th?

 

[ttcRider]

So strange.. I thought they would be found within a day or 2. I wonder if the Aunt has a bf or any friends? No one is pleading for her to turn herself in with the kids.

 

[MistyWaters]

Is there a vehicle description at all? I'm wondering if the grandmother and/or aunt's vehicle is still at home? And also beside mom, when was the last time anyone has seen any of them before March 12th?

As far as anything I’ve read in the media -
No vehicle description. Maybe that why the RCMP believes someone has aided them? It’s not been stated who was the last to see them on the 12th. Neither do we know if the mother, her sister and their mother all resided together.

It’s as if the RCMP are treating the grandmother and aunt with kid gloves and there must be a reason for that. Just my opinion, if the mother truly doesn’t know anything about where they are, she ought to be absolutely frantic with concern by now as it’s over a week since her mother and sister abducted her children. Why isn’t she making pleas through the media? If she’s lying to LE, has she thought about the future ramifications including charges she could also be facing? While all three of the maternal family might see this as protecting the children, it seems to me they’re actually shooting themselves in the foot, as the saying goes.
JMO

 

[CanadianSleuther]

As far as anything I’ve read in the media -
No vehicle description. Maybe that why the RCMP believes someone has aided them? It’s not been stated who was the last to see them on the 12th. Neither do we know if the mother, her sister and their mother all resided together.

It’s as if the RCMP are treating the grandmother and aunt with kid gloves and there must be a reason for that. Just my opinion, if the mother truly doesn’t know anything about where they are, she ought to be absolutely frantic with concern by now as it’s over a week since her mother and sister abducted her children. Why isn’t she making pleas through the media? If she’s lying to LE, has she thought about the future ramifications including charges she could also be facing? While all three of the maternal family might see this as protecting the children, it seems to me they’re actually shooting themselves in the foot, as the saying goes.
JMO

There is always the possibility this isn't an abduction period?

 

[MistyWaters]

<modsnip: Referenced post was removed>

But about the vehicle, from a few days ago -

“(Cpl) Keibel said that there is no suspect vehicle or any location that investigators believe that Alison and Therese O’Driscoll may have taken the girls to.”
Search continues Tuesday for 2 girls missing from Cochrane, Alta.

 

[MistyWaters]

Canlii is a website consisting transcribed Court documents by the Canadian Legal Information Institute. This document, linked on this thread earlier, pertains to a Judges Decision on Feb 1, 2021 regarding the mother’s unsuccessful effort to disqualify the Judge who presided over the child custody situation. It offers a glimpse into what appears to have been an extremely acrimonious battle occurring prior to the abduction.

2021 ABQB 80 (CanLII) | Zak v Zak | CanLII

 

[Ninja Bunny]

The children are missing, LE is looking for them, they were abducted against court orders, I don’t know who these women are or what they’re capable of other than kidnapping. I am concerned for these children’s safety.

 

[Sillybilly]

Sorry folks, the social media account containing a letter that was referred to, purportedly from one of the POI's, is not from an approved source. Posts referencing it have been removed.

Those with information are asked to call
Cochrane RCMP at 403-851-8000 or
Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.​

 

[Perf Imperf]

Sorry folks, the social media account containing a letter that was referred to, purportedly from one of the POI's, is not from an approved source. Posts referencing it have been removed.

Those with information are asked to call
Cochrane RCMP at 403-851-8000 or
Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.​

I apologize I posted that. I’m brand new to this forum so had no idea

 

[otto]

Hello Perf. Click edit on your comment and delete the top part.

 

[MyBelle]

There is always the possibility this isn't an abduction period?

I think that's a real possibility. Most states in the U.S. don't consider it a crime if the underlying reason is to protect the children's safety. We don't know much about either parent at this point or the reason behind the divorce.

 

[Sillybilly]

I apologize I posted that. I’m brand new to this forum so had no idea

We understand that new members don't have all the rules down pat. My post was just to let everyone know, so it wasn't intended to centre anyone out.

No worries

 

[rkendmar]

I think that's a real possibility. Most states in the U.S. don't consider it a crime if the underlying reason is to protect the children's safety. We don't know much about either parent at this point or the reason behind the divorce.

Would it then be considered 'custodial interference' ?

 

[MyBelle]

Would it then be considered 'custodial interference' ?

I think it depends on the reason behind the abduction. For example, at the designated parenting time, the parent shows up drunk or under the influence of drugs. Or the parents are texting threats to one another.

I do believe the judge in this case has a clear bias against the mother because of the allegations of bias made by the mother's attorney. Her attorney requested a sudden hearing in Dec. be changed because she couldn't attend. Rather than move the date, the judge demanded the mother attend by herself. That's very unfair to the mother. There is just too much we don't know about what is going on in this case.

There was a custody case a few years ago in Michigan where the judge threw three kids into juvie jail. It was ridiculous.

JMO

 

[Sillybilly]

I think it depends on the reason behind the abduction. For example, at the designated parenting time, the parent shows up drunk or under the influence of drugs. Or the parents are texting threats to one another.

I do believe the judge in this case has a clear bias against the mother because of the allegations of bias made by the mother's attorney. Her attorney requested a sudden hearing in Dec. be changed because she couldn't attend. Rather than move the date, the judge demanded the mother attend by herself. That's very unfair to the mother. There is just too much we don't know about what is going on in this case.

There was a custody case a few years ago in Michigan where the judge threw three kids into juvie jail. It was ridiculous.

JMO

<bbm>

I don't think the judge's demand was unfair given that the mother was found in contempt of court for having breached 2 previous parenting Orders. A judge's Orders are issued in relation to what is in the best interests of the children, and as the judge stated "it was in the best interests of the children to convene a case management meeting before the Christmas break to address the interim parenting issues and for the parties to bring me up-to-date on their progress with the PN7 Reunification Therapy".

ETA: Also, that week was the last regular sitting week of the year. Actually, the last sitting was December 14 and the judge arranged a Webex conference for December 15 to ensure that the sitting took place prior to Christmas.

The best interests of the children trumps attorney schedules and parent unwillingness or unpreparedness to participate when ordered.

2021 ABQB 80 (CanLII) | Zak v Zak | CanLII

 

[otto]

Would it then be considered 'custodial interference' ?

If you mean regarding charges, my guess is that the aunt and grandmother will be charged with abduction. Anyone who is helping them could be charged with aiding and abetting.

RCMP have described the missing children as a criminal offence.

“Those assisting the O’Driscoll’s may believe they are acting in the best interests of the children, however those who assist in the commission of a criminal offence can be charged criminally with aiding and abetting.”
​

Cochrane RCMP believe suspects receiving aid in case of missing girls | Calgary Herald

https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/8fa.../guid-parental-child-abduction-2006-11-28.pdf