Found Safe Canada - O’Driscoll-Zak sisters, 2 & 5, abduction by aunt & grandmother, Cochrane, 12 Mar 2021

[Seattle1]

It’s very hard to understand. Surely this latest lawyer hasn’t led the family to believe she can totally turn things around by getting the judge removed, therefore nullifying the custody order to the dad. For that reason are they still hanging on to false hope I wonder? But I’d be very surprised if any proceeding take place while the children are still missing. JMO

“Castle said the case is one of the most unique she’s seen in her 32-year career, noting “everything on this file stinks.” The girls’ mother is requesting a stay of the March 12 custody decision and recusal of the judge who rendered the judgment, stating “due process has not been followed.”...”
'Our hearts are beyond broken': RCMP have yet to locate two Cochrane sisters three weeks after disappearance | Calgary Herald

Given that family court matters are typically private, it was fortunate for our discussion purposes that mom JOZ appealed the case manager's decisions which were not reversed by the higher court (i.e., Court of Appeals are public record).

For any new readers here - important to note that Attorney Castle is not being honest in her assessment by ignoring the appealed decisions not decided in JOZ's favor. MOO

 

[Seattle1]

However, if awarding custody to the mother, even temporarily, means that the children will reappear, perhaps that's the best strategy to encourage the abductors to produce the children. Would a lawyer with questionable ethics be involved in a scheme whereby the client is misled to achieve a goal regarding the children?

^^RSBM
Under the current tactics by JOZ and counsel, I still don't see the children being returned to JOZ but instead being placed in neutral, foster care while allegations against each parent are heard and/or reheard in higher courts. It's all just so wrong....

 

[Mystrywrtr62]

I am going to go back and review the chain of lawyers - I believe JOZ has changed lawyers at least three times, and also has a sister who is a lawyer (the one trying to stir up sentiment on social media). Constant lawyer shopping could equate to trying to find the one who will say what she wants to hear. I will review and post what I find.

 

[Mystrywrtr62]

She has had three lawyers in the last 4 months representing her, according to the Court of Appeal and Court of Queen's Bench decisions.

 

[MistyWaters]

There was a chambers court hearing (Alberta Court of Appeal) yesterday - don't know what the topic or outcome was, but here is a link to the court calendar:

https://albertacourts.ca/docs/defau...---week-of-2019-12-16.pdf?sfvrsn=d9a5d980_474

Interesting, thanks for keeping an eye on the calendar.

 

[otto]

She has had three lawyers in the last 4 months representing her, according to the Court of Appeal and Court of Queen's Bench decisions.

What a shame that the mother ended up with a lawyer who will feed her to the wolves. Castle is looking for publicity and prefers vulnerable female clients with a healthy bank account.

The mother should ask Castle how many of her female clients have lost primary custody of their children due to Castle's poor performance as a lawyer. Castle may lie, deny, blame the mother, the psychologist, anyone she can think of, but incompetent legal advice is a big factor in custody decisions.

If Castle recommended slinging mud at the father, and advised the mother to file child abuse complaints with RCMP rather than medical practitioners, then Castle has a plan that has nothing to do with the mother securing custody.

 

[MistyWaters]

In that earlier report I was thinking about this usual comment from the co-counsel for JOZ -

'Our hearts are beyond broken': RCMP have yet to locate two Cochrane sisters three weeks after disappearance | Calgary Herald
“Co-counsel Tanya Kelm said there’s a “complicated history behind it all” but RCMP are only investigating one possible conclusion.

“It’s assumed the grandmother and the aunt have abducted the children,” Kelm said Thursday. “There has been no exploration of the alternatives.”

She said there are concerns about the safety of the children and of their grandmother and aunt....”

I wonder if it might be connected to the court hearing ??? It doesn’t make a lot of sense as the children are already missing from anyone’s custody other than the abductors....unless the grandmother and aunt claim they’ve fled because they fear for their lives???

Why is Emergency Custody Granted or Restraining Order Granted?
Judges are not fond of granting emergency custody without substantiated evidence for doing so. Unless there are specific elements present in a case, a judge is unlikely to grant emergency custody to a guardian or to either parent.

When there is the threat or suspicion that a child is in immediate danger, emergency custody may be granted.
How to Get Emergency Custody in Canada or a Restraining Order in Alberta | Verhaeghe Law Office

 

[Inthedetails]

Just going by the glimpse of the rural residence on the Global TV video linked a few days ago, it’s probably not an example of the typical stereotype of a grandma’s house. For that reason I don’t think the family in general is strapped for cash. It probably costs far less to finance an abduction than what they’ve already spent on legal costs over the past year or more, especially now if they’re being provided shelter by others who are complicity involved.

Aha. I didn't realize that. I was envisioning a typical middle-class family in terms of finances.

jmo

 

[otto]

“Co-counsel Tanya Kelm said there’s a “complicated history behind it all” but RCMP are only investigating one possible conclusion.

“It’s assumed the grandmother and the aunt have abducted the children,” Kelm said Thursday. “There has been no exploration of the alternatives.”

She said there are concerns about the safety of the children and of their grandmother and aunt....”
<respectfully snipped>

Could the mother be implying that the father has done something to the abductors and children even though RCMP have said they believe the mother's family is assisting the abductors?

 

[MistyWaters]

Could the mother be implying that the father has done something to the abductors and children even though RCMP have said they believe the mother's family is assisting the abductors?

That’s what I thought was being insinuated, either has done something or has threatened. Oddly, she expresses her concern about the safety of the four only if there’s an alternative explanation aside from the abduction by the grandmother and aunt.

It was probably very wise for the father to have arranged for the police to accompany him when he went to pick the children up that day. Who knows what he might’ve been met with but I doubt the ex would’ve admitted to him that her mother and sister took off with the children.

 

[Cordelia Gray]

Interview with father on a local podcast
Bonus: Abducted in Alberta

 

[Seattle1]

Reportedly, "family violence" is the reason the court-appointed psychologist recommended the children removed from the mother?

Huh? Are the children now with alleged violent offenders?

Process of elimination -- is it just the child's mother accused of being violent?

 

[Lexiintoronto]

Interview with father on a local podcast
Bonus: Abducted in Alberta

Thank you, I learned a lot from this podcast.

The father, CZ, said the mother repeatedly defied court orders to allow him access to the children. He ultimately was awarded full custody in part to violence in the mother’s home.

He said his ex-wife’s father is a rancher, familiar with the rural area. CZ believes the children and abductors may be north of where they were last seen. CZ has access to the girls’ medical records, and neither has been tested for COVID. That gives him some hope they haven’t crossed borders.

At the 11:00 minute mark he adds details of a private investigator his ex-wife’s family hired.

-He is a former Calgary police service member of 24 years. He acted as a security guard of some sort, appeared with them in court.

- CZ felt they were being followed, court records confirm that is true.

-CZ’s daughter, Wyatt, was with grandmother Theresa O’Driscoll and the private investigator the last time CZ saw them.

-The PI was at the O’Driscoll home when the children went missing, he was not driving his usual vehicle. The police (RCMP?) allowed the PI to leave. CZ’s father tried to follow him, but lost him.

-abductors left their vehicle and cell phones behind.

-RCMP are tracking the abductors’ credit cards, but haven’t found any clues to date.

-CZ is not in contact with his ex-wife

 

[Lexiintoronto]

Reportedly, "family violence" is the reason the court-appointed psychologist recommended the children removed from the mother?

Huh? Are the children now with alleged violent offenders?

Process of elimination -- is it just the child's mother accused of being violent?

The mother and grandfather are possibilities, IMO. The RCMP seems to think the children are safe, but the father CZ doesn’t sound convinced in the podcast linked above. He thinks the grandmother and aunt are tending to the children’s basic needs, but he’s obviously concerned.

 

[otto]

Interview with father on a local podcast
Bonus: Abducted in Alberta

Interesting! The father states that he was accused of sexually abusing the children, there was an investigation, and it was determined that the allegations were false. He was awarded full custody because it was determined that the mother is a danger to the children.

I'm very curious about the private detective, a former police officer, who was involved with the situation at the time of the abduction.

It's also interesting that the father suspects the children are hidden near the home of the grandparents. A bit of sleuthing indicates that this is the location where the children were last seen.








https://www.rockyview.ca/maps-addressing

 

[MistyWaters]

@ Cordelia Gray, Welcome to WS and Thanks for the podcast link!

So CZ says because of JOZ’s father’s connections to other ranchers he thinks the four might be hiding out in a rural area somewhere north of Cochrane.

 

[MissMisto]

Is it just me, or is dad insinuating that the PI was involved ?
If the PI was at their home at the time of disappearance driving a different car, and the missing4 took no car or cell phones.. it sounds like the initial “getaway” may have been in the PI vehicle, then dumped or dropped off somewhere for a secondary vehicle.
This is so sad. Both sides I’m sure think they are doing the right thing (in terms of them being the safest place for the kids) if mom (or even just grandma and auntie) believe dad is SA’ing the kids, they would want to protect them. And dad went on record saying mom was mentally ill, and now, physically abusive. Who’s being honest? Both? Neither?

 

[Lexiintoronto]

Deleted

 

[Seattle1]

Please be reminded that CZ's (or any family) social media accounts cannot be linked/discussed on the main thread.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

.