A Vietnamese woman has just won the legal right to keep her baby who was taken away by her French ex-boyfriend.

The HCM City People's Court on May 31 announced that Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, 32, would have the legal right to keep her three-year-old daughter, Sara Thien Kim after the girl's father had taken her away.  

The announcement was made without the child’s father Azais Stephane Alexandre, 42, who didn’t show up after two summons were issued. 

The court chairman said that they agreed with the judgment by a French court in this case.

"According to Vietnamese law, children under 36 months should live with their mothers," the chairman said. "So Huyen has the legal right to keep Sara Thien Kim".

Speaking with local media after the court, Huyen said "Although I was confident, I was still nervous that I couldn't sleep the whole night before," Huyen shared. 

"I was thinking about the moments when I would be reunited with my little daughter after so many days apart. Now I will have to wait for 15 days to take my baby back home."

Huyen looks at a photo of her little daughter.

According to the court's report, Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen and Azais Stephane Alexandre started living together in HCM City in 2013. 

After a time, they separated when Huyen was six months pregnant. 

After Huyen gave birth, the father hired an apartment in Thao Dien Ward, District 2 for the mother and baby. 

He visited them two or three times a week and sometimes took the baby to his place. 

Alexandre registered the baby's birth certificate at the Consulate General of France in Ho Chi Minh City.

On November 29, 2014, Alexandre brought the baby to France. After failing in persuading him to return her daughter, Huyen came to France in 2016 and lodged a lawsuit against him. 

She won the case at a French court in June 2016 but Alexandre did not follow the ruling. He brought the baby back to Vietnam and continued to keep her.

dtinews