A Scots dad has marooned himself on an uninhabited Ayrshire island in a cast-away style plea to change the law — after his kids were taken from him abroad without his consent.
Heartbroken Nathan Gilmour has called on government chiefs to change a legislation ‘loophole’ dubbed the ‘kidnapper's charter’.
The Ayr dad spent seven days on the tiny island of Lady Isle off the coast of Troon to show the ‘isolation and loneliness’ faced by fathers and mothers who have had their lives ripped apart by parental abduction.
Nathan’s life was turned upside down in July 2019 when his wife Angelica Gilmour Gray first fled the country.
The former Belmont Academy teacher claims how after a long standing 9 month custody battle. Sheriff Scott Pattison of Ayr Sheriff Court declared Nathan could have access to his children.
But instead his wife ‘stripped the house bare’ and took the kids to Poland where authorities were unable to find out their whereabouts.
It is now feared the kids are in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus after a legal team hired by Nathan traced them.
The lawless part of the island dubbed ‘Costa Del Crime’ — is not covered by child abduction laws under the Hague Convention — meaning Nathan is unable to retrieve his two children.
Now three years on Nathan is gearing up for the fight of his life as he attempts to overthrow the legislation loophole.
Nathan told Ayrshire Live : “I’m living and existing for my children. I’ve given up my job as a teacher. I taught at Belmont for 10 years and I desperately miss it.
“Although I’m not with my kids, I’m incredibly proud of them. My job as a father is to continue to work for them and all the other parents who have had their lives ripped apart by the serious lack of legislation.
“I wanted to show everyone the isolation and loneliness that is felt by parents who are put in this position.
“I wouldn’t wish the pain or the injustice that my family has experienced in the past few years on anyone. It has taken its toll massively on my mental health. The loneliness I’ve felt has been horrendous, it is quite debilitating and it is quite exhausting.”
Nathan spent seven days in solitary on Lady Isle dealing with difficult conditions.
He has launched an online fundraiser to support his bid to cover the costs of a judicial review of Scots Law.
He said: “It worked out a lot tougher than I expected. I was marooned on a craggy windy, stinking, grotty wee island. I was literally living amongst bird sh**t. It was challenging in some parts, some of the days were long.
“I wanted to highlight the isolation and the loneliness experienced by children and life behind parents, I feel like that message was overall well received.”
Nathan has told how government chiefs were first made aware of the case three years ago and this is an ‘open case’. But a spokesperson for the Scottish Government has confirmed that they will only be able to continue the case if the children were located in a country under the Hague Convention.
Government officials insist there is already legislation in Scotland which makes it an offence for parents to send a child under 16 out of the UK when a court order is in place. However such court orders have to specifically state that a parent must not leave the country.
A spokesperson added: “International child abduction is included in our Family Justice Modernisation Strategy and we will consider if any amendments are needed to the legislation in due course.”
You can donate to Nathan's fundraiser here.
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