Tag Archives: oceania

‘Nightmare’ years-long ordeal after Victorian man exit-trafficked his wife to Sudan

The traumatising ordeal of a mother left stranded in Sudan after being exit-trafficked by her husband continued when she tried to reunite with her young children.

Mohamed Ahmed Omer took their two children, aged six months and two, with him when he fled back to Australia and abandoned his wife in September 2014.

After 16 months separated from her kids, the woman finally made her way back to Australia after securing a visa.

READ MORE: Neighbour's 'instincts took over' to save four kids from fatal Sydney fire

But her "nightmare continued" as Omer moved their children from place to place to avoid her.

"The journey to reunite with them became an agonising struggle," she said, in a statement read to Victoria's County Court today.

"When I tried to reunite, I faced false accusations, claims I was abusing him and the children, resulting in a police order banning me from seeing them."

Two months after her return to Australia, in April 2016, Omer took the children back to Sudan and left them there.

The distraught mother went to Sudan six months later to find her children, where she was confronted with even more legal hurdles.

"A sharia court stripped me of custody and prohibited me from seeing my children," she said.

"I was even in prison for three days."

She said the ordeal "irrevocably changed" the lives of her and her children, whom she now has full custody of.

"Losing my children was the most devastating period of my life," she said.

Omer, 52, became the first person in Victoria to be charged with exit-trafficking after he deceived his wife into travelling to Sudan and led her to believe she had a valid visa to return.

He had withdrawn his support for her visa and, after arriving in Sudan, he changed their tickets home.

Omer is facing up to 12 years behind bars after a jury found him guilty of the commonwealth offence in April.

His barrister told a pre-sentence hearing today that Omer's PTSD from growing up amid a civil war would make prison more difficult for him.

"It's accepted this is really a stain on an otherwise blameless life for Mr Omer," Brett Stevens told the court.

"He acknowledges the intentional deceit that caused the complainant to exit Australia, but that doesn't mean the jury accepted all of the victim's evidence."

He asked Judge Frank Gucciardo to hand Omer, who is currently in jail, a good behaviour bond with "some period to serve" in prison.

Prosecutor John Saunders said the Omer's "callous behaviour" needed to be properly punished.

"The youngest of the children was still being breastfed, these are particularly damaging acts in the context of a young family," he said.

The judge said Omer had fabricated much of his story to explain his conduct.

He shifted the blame to his wife during his police interview, claiming she had been neglecting their children and that he left Sudan with the kids because her family had threatened him, court documents reveal.

"He is simply dissembling, or at one end just fabricating stuff," Judge Gucciardo said.

Omer will be sentenced at a later date.

Hunt for driver as man fights for life after hit-run in Perth’s south-east

A 38-year-old man is in intensive care fighting for life after a hit-run in Perth's south-east.

Police said a dark-coloured vehicle travelling north along Albany Highway at Maddington allegedly struck a pedestrian near a 7-Eleven about 7.30pm yesterday.

The man was taken to Royal Perth Hospital with serious injuries and admitted into the intensive care unit.

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The driver of the vehicle failed to render assistance and drove away, police said.

The Major Crash Unit has launched an investigation and is urging any witnesses, or anyone who was driving on Albany Highway at the time of the crash, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Heroic neighbour’s ‘instincts took over’ to save four kids from fatal Sydney fire

A neighbour has recalled how his instincts kicked in when he heard the cries of children coming from a burning home in western Sydney, where three young lives were lost.

Police allege that 28-year-old father Dean Heasman had barricaded seven children inside the Freeman Street home in Lalor Park on Sunday as flames took hold.

While emergency services were on their way, Jarrod Hawkins, who lives on the street, rushed head-first into the flames. 

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Jarrod Hawkins  Lalor park fire

"I didn't realise what was happening, I just heard the kids crying and instincts took over," he told 9News.

"The house was well on fire, it was smoky, couldn't see a thing.

"I just followed the voices, touched the wall and just found my way through until I could find the kids."

Hawkins went back and forth pulling out four children one-by-one; three boys aged four, seven and 11, and one girl aged nine.

He also grabbed Heasman and a 29-year-old woman who were inside.

But the flames quickly engulfed the home and killed three other children – two boys aged two and six, and a five-month-old baby girl. 

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'Dad tried to kill us': Man arrested over house fire that killed three

"There was nothing I could do. I was stuck," Hawkins said.

Police allege that Heasman kept pushing the children inside the burning home and prevented emergency services from rescuing them.

"Never in my life would I think I would want to hurt my kids. It's outrageous to me, it's disgusting," Hawkins said.

Police said the children were yet to be formally identified and post mortem examinations would determine their causes of death.

Heasman remains in hospital in an induced coma under police guard as investigations into the fatal blaze continue.

No charges have been laid. 

READ MORE: Man arrested after dangling, dropping child off second-floor resort balcony

Lalor park fire

The woman and four children each remain in hospital in a stable condition. Hawkins walked away with minor cuts and burns to his foot.

The community has labelled Hawkins a "hero" but he has rejected that title. 

"I was in the right place in the wrong time, I was in a situation where I could help," he said.

"I'll never forget something like that."

A pile of flowers and teddy bears outside the home is growing as the community rallies around the children, donating to a fundraising page to support them moving forward. 

Premier Chris Minns said his government would support the surviving family members after they suffered an "unfathomable" tragedy.

Police have appealed to anyone who may have information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.