Mum wants Que returned from Australia ‘immediately’
The mother of 6-year-old Que Langdon, who was found in Australia on Wednesday with her father Alan after they sailed across the Tasman Sea, wants New Zealand authorities to order her immediate return home, a spokesman says.
Waikato police Detective Sergeant Bill Crowe said police in New Zealand had been liaising with the Ministry of Justice, Immigration and Customs about what potential action could be taken. Police would have to apply to Australian authorities to have Alan Langdon, who is an Australian citizen, extradited back to New Zealand.
But at this stage the penalties Langdon faced for allegedly breaching Family Court conditions did not reach the criteria for extradition, Crowe said.
‘‘The investigation is still ongoing. Until we get everything together, it’s not clear what action we will be taking.’’
To extradite someone, the offence had to carry a minimum sentence of 12 months in jail, he said. Removing a child from New Zealand under the Care of Children Act carries a maximum penalty of three months in jail or a $2500 fine.
Crowe said police had advised Que’s mother, Ariane Wyler, to pursue avenues through the Hague Convention. This included possible civil aspects of child abduction.
Wyler hadn’t seen or spoken to her daughter for eight months, child recovery specialist Col Chapman said.
Chapman was hired to find Que after Langdon’s yacht left Kawhia on December 17 but failed to arrive at the Bay of Islands, where it was believed he and Que would be spending Christmas.
It was the second time Wyler had hired Chapman to locate her daughter and estranged husband.
Chapman said Wyler was ‘‘thrilled, over the moon, ecstatic, she couldn’t be happier’’ after hearing that her daughter had been found,.
She wanted Que returned to New Zealand immediately, he said. ’’New Zealand can insist on Que’s immediate return, that would not be a problem.’’
Que was in Australia illegally, Wyler revealed. Her passport was being held by a court registrar in New Zealand.
Speaking at Ulladulla Harbour in New South Wales, Langdon said he and Que were both safe and happy. ‘‘We were always safe, we just couldn’t let anyone know,’’ he said. - Fairfax NZ