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"Statement of Pastor Ossie Cruse on His Resignation as an Australia Day Ambassador"

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Created: Saturday, 25 January 2014 23:30

Written by Pastor Ossie Cruise - Mathaba.net

80 year old Aboriginal Elder Ossie Cruse issued a statement on his disillusionment with current day Australia and its disregards even for the rights of children, explaining his reasons for resigning as an Australia Day Ambassador giving the case of 11 year old Daniel Hassen as a personal example

As reported in the news here, the following is the full statement of Aboriginal Elder, Pastor Ossie Cruse, aged 80, this "Australia Day" 2014.

Galatians 6;2: Bear you one another's burdens, and so fulfil the Love of Christ.

This communication is about an Australian Child, 11 year old Daniel Hassen, whom I have counselled for 9 months deterring his suicidal tendencies; he is being held in extraordinary extended torturous torment for over three years by the Federal Circuit Court Brisbane under Judge Jarrett, supposedly acting in the best interests of the Child; but denied to hear his voice, saying he is contented to be in the care of his loving mother, with his beautiful old dog George, and cat Rosie.

Why would the Federal Circuit Court and its experts want to rob Daniel Hassen of his peaceful contented life, is beyond sound reason; Daniels pleadings to be heard were totally ignored, even the fact that the determination to tear Daniels life apart, has upset Daniel so much, in his distress he decided that he would end his young Life, if he was separated from his familiar, happy, and contented lifestyle, to satisfy the demands of an undeserving father, who in the past has mistreated his wife and children.

Long before the Federal Circuit Court Judge made his ill conceived demands to change Daniels preferred lifestyle; Daniel already made up his mind to end his life, or run away from his father's home, and as he was receiving expert counselling for suicide tendencies, when Judge Jarrett made the order, it was a death sentence for Daniel. I know that decision was in the worst interests of Daniel Hassen.

During counselling, I was advised that Hon Judge Jarrett had formulated his advice based on a short 2 hour session in assessing both Daniel and his mother; I spent nine months, giving counselling and therapeutic treatment in order to deter Daniels troubled mind from negative self destruction, to positive self esteem. During this time, I asked Daniel if he would live with his dad for a while, it might make things better for his mother and himself; Daniel's countenance changed in an instant, and he replied, "I will be living alright, but I will be in hell, for I will kill myself". Needless to say I never mentioned this issue again; but I wonder at such a determination from such a young mind, that he would prefer to be in hell, than to live with his father?

From the beginning, when Daniel Hassen was only 8 years old, the Federal Circuit Court System did nothing that was in his best interests; Daniel's troubles began for him when his safe, secure and happy young life was threatened when he learned that his father was moving to obtain formal custody of him.

I have lived with and felt the pain of our stolen generations, and experienced the breakdowns and separations of our Aboriginal families, and worked with many of their restitutions and reconciliations, and I have found that the human heart and family connections, has a greater resilience to mend, than any forced statute in a Court order.

Daniel, as he grew in age, stature, and intellect, I am sure he would have found his dad in the future, but the attitude of the Court has broadened the distance he has to travel.

Daniel's father Lindsay Hassen and mother Bronwyn Tombs were divorced in 2006 and Daniel was raised by his mother, who is a qualified nurse; as agreed settlement in the divorce, Lindsay would take their $ 500 000 property, and Bronwyn would take the children, having full custody of four teenagers and Daniel still a child. Bronwyn thought she had the best deal because she loved her children; little did she realise that the marginal difference in equity division would cause her so much pain.

Daniel's older teenage brother and two sisters, started partying and under-age drinking of alcohol: after being told they could not have such parties in her home, the three older children decided to go and live with their father, despite receiving pay out from their father's abuse; Daniel's older brother developed a mental problem, and in anger, tried to bash his mother over the head with his skate board, his mother fearing for her life, had no alternative but to call the police to restrain him.

The older siblings departure from Bronwyn's home had nothing to do with alienation, but everything to do with young adults wanting to drink alcohol and do drugs, and not wanting to come under their mother's discipline of proper code of conduct; Their departure was an extremely stressful and frustrating experience for their Mother.

Bronwyn was tagged by the Court "experts" as being an "alienating mother", by her natural instinct to protect Daniel from drug and alcohol abuse, by not allowing him to follow her elder siblings, and further protect him from potential abuse from his father. Her motherly love and care actually saved his life when she absconded with Daniel.

Bronwyn Tombs, also saved the Federal Circuit Court from making a serious mistake in judgment concerning her son's life had the Court order been enforced, with full custody of Daniel going to his father, and a moratorium preventing her from seeing Daniel for several months in order to force him to get used to his father; strange reasoning, in the light of Daniel's troubled mind and wish to stay with his mother.

Bronwyn Tombs and Daniel Hassen are not Aboriginal, and when they came to me for help over 12 months ago, I realised that here was two people who were carrying a serious load of stress, and needed lots of Christian Love and Care, and we provided that through our Aboriginal Evangelical Church Eden, and we pray that this nightmare imposed on Daniel and his mother Bronwyn will come to an end soon.

I am so ashamed our country should spawn such evil intentions on innocent persons, and the unbalanced scales of justice, whereby a rich man can buy expert defence, and a single mother struggle with getting adequate legal aid. In the case of Bronwyn Tombs, being denied time to find a lawyer, by both the applicant and the court, when Australian Legal Aid pulled out of her case two weeks before the final hearing; and left her without legal representation.

I am ashamed at hearing persons of high intelligence say she should have been at the court in spite of the distance and lack of means and that the court proceeded. She had no finance to pay for witnesses to appear on her behalf; plus she had to travel interstate from NSW, as the court was held in Brisbane and all costs, travel and accommodation had to be borne by a single mother living on Centrelink payments. Thus only half of the evidence was heard, though one may assume that Bronwyn Tombs being present would not have changed the order as by all appearances Judge Jarrett had made his mind up even before he heard Bronwyn's side of the appeal.

The order was so out of character, with the real issues concerning Daniel, who by the time of the Court order was so stressed, confused and overcome with fear; I am convinced that he would have endangered his life by running away, or worse, he would have committed suicide. When the policy of Children's Courts supposedly is to act in the best interests of the child, in this case the court acted in the worst interests of 11 year old Daniel Hassen.

Counselling these two people for over a year now, nine months in person, and three months by telephone, and hearing that she was tagged as being an "alienating mother" a description that never surfaced for me once during those nine months. On the contrary what I did see was a loving and caring mother, desperate to make a life for her and her son Daniel, coupled with Daniel's longing to return to his Christian School with his friends he misses so much; both are above average in all aspects of sound citizenship, honest hard working normal human beings, who are suffering excessive stress and health damaging pressure of the drawn out courts.

The character assassination of Bronwyn Tombs by Judge Jarrett of being an "alienating" woman, I have found no trace of whatsoever, and the expert advisers of the Judge, should apologise to Bronwyn Tombs for their hasty misjudgement. I suspect this description was made to please the presiding Judge, and not for the purpose of seeing Justice done; There was a strange outburst by Judge Jarrett, I believe, when he advised Lindsey Hassen the Applicant, in front of all present in the Court, "You should go for full custody Mr Hassen, as you will not gain favour with your son, as his mother will be influencing him against you every time he is in her care". Any mother hearing that advice, would conclude this Judge has made up his mind, and what I say doesn't matter any more.

Daniel's mind was made up by the performance of his Father and his mistreatment of his brother and sisters, and he recited many times, that his Father called him a "little shit" in anger during their supervised visit; the mistreatment by his father of his mother, sisters and brother is imprinted indelibly on Daniel's mind, and will take a long time to erase; the order of full custody to his father is a disaster, and will serve only one purpose, and that is destroy Daniel with a nervous break down or suicide.

If the rule of law within our Federal Circuit Court system, does not provide for every one to be accountable, including Judges; then we have anarchy, and our soldiers have died in vain on foreign soil, in the defence of Democracy, Justice, Equity, Right to Life and Fair Play; all of which appear to be absent here in this Federal Circuit Court for both Bronwyn Tombs and Daniel Hassen.

It's now over four months that I sat with Daniel and witnessed what we both thought was his chance for normality, when the Courts appointed Childrens' Lawyer phoned Daniel, questioning him "how are you Daniel?". "Good," he replied, and the line of questioning implied that there was some interest in him being set free from the continued stress and repression, from hiding in fear of being forcefully removed from his mother's love and care. Currently Daniel's health is deteriorating, and I think the Court system has tortured him beyond civilised reason; and quick action is needed to save his health and well being. Further delay will add to the demise of this child.

The fore mentioned, are a true and proper record statement as I have experienced. I have served my country Australia for over 50 years, burning the midnight oil in voluntary service for God and Country, and the lives of our youth have a high priority, as I work within Schools, Hospitals, and Correction Centres. I have a passion to see our youth excel and gain quality of Life they deserve; Daniel Hassen's mistreatment by the Court, should be investigated along with every other case, relating to all children placed in danger. Demands that there be a Royal Commission into the Federal Circuit Court System should be heard, that will install truth in the slogan "working in the best interests of the Child".

I was really convinced that we were among the best nations on Earth, but I was mistaken, we rank among the worst; and as an Australia Day Ambassador, this Australia Day I formally resign and denounce my ambassadorship. In fact I now despise the false impression this Day projects, when the most innocent – our children – the children of our nation suffer such atrocities in our home lands, while we send our young brave men and women soldiers to die on foreign soil to prevent such evil.

Media inquiries are welcome to the Author, 80 Year Old abOrginal Australian Elder and Pastor as well as Australia Day Ambassador who was awarded an MBE and Australian Medal for his work in the community:

Pastor Ossie Cruse MBE AM
Pastor Aboriginal Evangelical Church Eden
Koori Elder; Volunteer Worker; Community,
Hospitals, Schools, Police & Prison
15 King Place Eden PO Box 374 Eden 2551
Ph 02 64962186; Mob 0401340393
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  ^{_{(Source : http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=633958)}}