Missing boy’s dad says disappearance is linked to custody battle

Many people are familiar with the Bellevue, Washington, case of the missing toddler, Sky Metalwala.

The 2-year-old boy went missing early this month, just days after a difficult child custody decision was made as a part of his parents’ grueling divorce proceedings.

The father of the boy recently told media that the mother knows what happened to the child and that he suspects the disappearance may be related to the above-mentioned court decision which granted him visitation rights.

Just days before the toddler was reported missing, the mother attempted to pull out of the agreement she had just reached with her future ex-husband.

Two days after that attempt, the boy was last seen with his mother. She was reportedly driving both of her children to a hospital that morning because the boy was not well, she told authorities. But, she ran out of gas and left the boy in the car while she and her daughter walked to the gas station. During that time, she alleges, the boy disappeared.

Though she has not been named a suspect, investigators have acknowledged oddities in her account. Reportedly, the car she said was out of gas actually ran fine and police verified that she did not buy any gas.

While this case remains unresolved at the present time, if it does turn out that the boy’s disappearance was in any way related to the custody battle, this is unacceptable behavior.

The dissolution of a marriage is an emotional milestone, one that can certainly become stressful and even burdensome. When children are involved, the entire process becomes much more intense. It is thus of utmost importance at these times to focus on your child’s best interests; children should never be used as leverage.

Sometimes it is best to step back and come up with a parenting plan that is first and foremost centered on the child’s needs. These plans can be modified as children grow or as a parent changes. Those who are going through a child custody dispute need to remember to act rationally to ensure their child has the care that he or she needs; and that such is established in a legal manor.

Source: ABC News, “Sky’s Father Says Disappearance Linked to Custody Dispute,” Katie Kindelan, Nov. 14, 2011