Dad a hair’s breadth from make or break custody ruling

File picture: Pixabay

File picture: Pixabay

Published Nov 3, 2018

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The results of the testing of a small hair from a Pretoria father stands between him having contact with his 4-year-old son.

The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, on Friday ordered that the man - who cannot be identified as a minor is involved - had to subject himself to a hair follicle test to prove that he was not using drugs.

This test involved the testing of a strand or a small piece of hair, obtained from beneath the skin.

Long-standing drug use can be detected by analysing the user’s hair.

The child’s mother claimed the estranged father of her child was an unemployed drug user, who had a preference for drugs such as cat and crystal meth.

The father, on the other hand, said he was no longer using drugs and that besides, he would never use drugs in front of his child. He also stated that he did work occasionally.

The mother also turned to the court as her former lover refused her permission to take their son on holiday to Mauritius over Christmas.

As he had to accompany her to Home Affairs to obtain a passport for the child, she had to have his permission.

The man, on the other hand, said if she refused him permission to see his child, he in turn refused her permission to take the child out of the country. He also said that as the mother was a Belgian citizen, he feared that she may take the child back to her country of origin.

The mother said in her affidavit that her child’s father did not contribute financially towards his keep.

She did not want to withhold contact between father and son, but she didn’t want him to be under the influence of drugs when he saw their son. She said she demanded that he undergo a hair follicle test to ensure he was drug-free, but he refused.

The man, on the other hand, said the fact that he could not contribute financially to his child was no reason to keep him from seeing his son.

The parties at the end agreed that the father would submit his hair for drug testing and agree to his child going to Mauritius.

Pretoria News

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