Baby Nina will be spending Christmas away from her mother. That is the unfortunate reality that faces 2 year old Nina Charlotte Perez and her embattled mother Ana Liz Perez Gutierrez. In mid-November personnel from the Human Service Department forcibly removed baby Nina from her mother's custody under a provision called the emergency protective care on behalf of the Guatemalan father who claimed the child was essential abducted. The matter ended before the Belize family court and Baby Nina was placed in foster care. Today Nina's mother accompanied by attorney Marcel Cardona appeared at the Belize Family Court in Belize City where they hoped see the matter through. However the father did not appear and the case was adjourned until January 7th 2016, much to the disappointment of the young mother.
Ana Liz Perez Gutierrez- Mother
"I would have like it to be a little faster, sooner. Because of course every time that my daughter is away from me it affects her. But at this point I can only have faith that in January it wont be delayed any longer and that things would be settled at that point."
Reporter
"Have you had any contact with the father outside of courtroom?"
Ana Liz Perez Gutierrez- Mother
"Not at all. We haven't had any contact whatsoever. I was informed that he was in Belize for two days and the department had granted him visitation through my daughter for a few hours. But besides that he hasn't contacted me and I haven't contacted him at all."
Reporter
"What really happened in court today? Was there any word from the father or representative of the father or an excuse as to why he did not show up today?"
Marcel Cardona- Attorney for the Mother
"Not really, but I understand that the magistrate's latest instructions will be conveyed to him that he will be given one more opportunity of appearing before this honorable court and if he fails to do so, then the court will simply have to proceed on the basis on the information that is available to it."
If the father does show up in three weeks when the case is to resume Cardona believes that with the evidence provided so far he can get the mother vindicated a reunite Gutierrez with her daughter.
Marcel Cardona- Attorney for the Mother
"I am confident that upon his appearance, if he does appear, we would be able to extract information to prove that he has not been truthful in his application before the contracting party in Guatemala. He has told many mistruths, half-truths and distorted factual information. So we are looking forward to his appearance. I was informed only moments ago that the Human Services Department conducted a home study report in the matter. From what I browsed, there was nowhere in that report, no point indicated that they feared that the mother was in some way mistreating the child or endangering the child's physical wellbeing."
On the other hand Human Services indicated that today was just a procedural matter and that the father was not required to show up. Meanwhile mother and child are taking a toll being away from each other especially during this Christmas season. Gutierrez has been granted permission to see her daughter for a few hours a day but Gutierrez says it is just not the same.
Reporter
"In foster care right now, how has this been going for you? You don't get to see your child often, but you at least get to visit her. How has this been working out for you?"
Ana Liz Perez Gutierrez- Mother
"I know that she is well taken care of. She is with family members, so I know that she is being loved and all her needs are being met. Upon me arriving near her, she is happy. She tells me about her day. The hard part come when it comes to leaving her. She doesn't understand why she can't come along with me."
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