Deepa filed 20 reports on ex-husband's 'abuse'

 

S Deepa has a valid Interim Protection Order (IPO) under the Domestic Violence Act against her ex-husband Izwan Abdullah, said the Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) today.

According to the organisation, the 30-year-old clerk had filed 20 police reports on the alleged abuse she endured at the hands of her ex-husband.

WAO was responding to Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, who said that police would not act against Deepa's report that Izwan snatched their son.

The police chief said this is because apart from the Seremban High Court granting Deepa custody of her two children, there was also a syariah court order that granted the father custody instead.

Commenting on Khalid's suggestion that the parties involved "talk this over", WAO said: "Did the ex-husband give Deepa the chance to talk things over before he converted their children to Islam? He didn't."

"Should Deepa be forced to talk things over with an abusive ex-husband? We don't think so. Did the ex-husband want to talk when he violently snatched the son from Deepa? He didn't.

"Yes, talking is possible. But only when both parties are willing to do so, and when there is an equal playing field," it added in a statement.

WAO said the protection order and the Seremban High Court custody order must be enforced without further delay, and family laws should be amended to prevent future injustice.

On Wednesday, two days after Deepa was granted custody, Izwan had gone to her house in Jelebu and allegedly snatched the boy.

When Deepa attempted to stop him and his accomplice from driving away, her clothes got caught in the car door and she was dragged.

In her police report, the clerk also claimed that Izwan, who works with an Islamic foundation, had kicked her.

Khalid's remarks also drew flak from other quarters, including MIC and MCA.