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French woman jailed in Canada for abducting children about to give birth
VANCOUVER (CP) – A French woman detained by Canadian authorities for allegedly kidnapping her two children after a protracted custody battle is about to give birth in prison after enduring deplorable conditions. her partner said Wednesday.
Francis Gruzelle. the father of Nathalie Gettliffe’s unborn child. said she is “physically exhausted” and blamed her poor health on the “horrible” prison conditions.
“She is food-deprived.” he said.
“She was deprived of medical care for nearly five months and she was beaten by fellow inmates. Who would have imagined Canadians to be capable of imposing such inhumane treatment on a pregnant woman?” Gruzelle told France-3 television.
Gettliffe. 35. faces up to 10 years in jail in Canada if found guilty on two counts of child abduction. She was detained in April.
Officials at Alouette Correctional Centre for Women declined to comment on the allegations.
Gettliffe’s Canadian ex-husband. Scott Grant. said he had heard she had been put in secure custody because “she might get beaten because other inmates thought she was squealing on them.”
He said he’s been receiving information through the Canadian embassy in Paris. journalists and Gettliffe’s lawyer.
B.C. Corrections spokesman Bruce Bannerman said he could not discuss individual cases.
But. he said. if an individual were being beaten. steps would be taken to ensure the person’s safety and also to deal with the attackers.
And. he said. the care that a pregnant women receives is comparable to what she would receive in the general community.
“We would ensure that the health of the offender and the unborn child is looked after.” Bannerman said.
Gettliffe said she took her children to France in 2001 to remove them from the influence of Grant because he was increasingly active in the International Church of Christ.
While Canadian authorities recognize the church. French authorities consider it a cult.
In July. French authorities turned over the 11-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl to Grant. who was given full custody by a Canadian court.
Gruzelle lashed out against the French government. which he said has “been cowardly and incompetent” in the matter.
“No one has spoken out against the two children being sent back to a Canadian sect.” he complained. adding that the children’s’ father refused to allow them to visit Gettliffe in prison.
Grant said that is false.
“She’s already seen them three times (in two months).” he said. “She only let me see them four times in the whole time she was in France over five years.
“She was quite happy in jail. She made them little beads and stuff. It was nothing like she’s reporting that’s really bad.”
Grant downplayed Gruzelle’s allegations against the church. saying Gruzelle had also alleged his former wife had been in a cult.
“It seems to be a common theme with Mr. Gruzelle.” Grant said.
Gruzelle also said Gettliffe had been on an IV drip to stop contractions. The baby. due to reach full term on Friday. is underweight. he said.
Grant said all of Gettliffe’s previous births have been premature.
He said he had not heard if his ex-wife had had the baby.
Gettliffe – whose trial is to start this autumn – has written a book about her story. called “Letters from Prison.”
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