OPEN LETTER TO BERNARD CATLLA Dear Bernard, I do not know where you are hiding with Lili, so I am compelled to write to you via the open social media channels available to me. Your actions in support of the campaign of defiance by your daughter against the Court of Appeal’s decision in terms of the Hague Convention that Lili must be returned to South Africa IMMEDIATELY (date of the Court’s Order was 3 April 2014!), are a dark mystery to me. How can a man of your age perpetrate such acts as you have in abducting Lili? There has to be an explanation which would be sensible for a father and grandfather such as you; but all attempts at rational thought in this direction lead nowhere. The absence of rationality is madness; and this conclusion is the only one that can be drawn from the set of your irrational actions. And in the words of Sherlock Holmes: “When all possible explanations have been exhausted except one, then that explanation, no matter its apparent improbability, has to be the truth.” A further aspect which defies logic is your apparent belief that you and your family have sole “ownership” of Lili and that neither Michael as her father, nor Mavis and I, as Lili’s paternal grandparents, have any rights to see her or to be with her. There can be no moral or other imperative which drives you to deny us. So again, in the absence of rationality, these actions are also madness. Or possibly do they demonstrate the absence of empathy (towards Lili, as well as the Job family)? For if so, I must remind you that the absence of empathy is the essence of evil. You know very well that the behaviour of your daughter, Helene, has been hugely problematic to your family for many decades. She often complained, while she lived amongst us, that you had abused her as a child and teenager, both emotionally and financially. And in his speech at their wedding, your son, Guillam, with a wry grin on his face, wished Michael good luck in his marriage to his sister as he was going to need it. Why did he need to say this? The answer is simple. He knew very well what Helene was capable of as this had justified his removing himself permanently from her presence in France. So now to try and paint a picture of Helene as a woman as pure as driven snow, is ridiculous. We read all over the media that Helene and her supporters think that the removal of Lili from her mother will be traumatic and not in Lili’s interests. Yet little Lili has been removed from her mother and is residing with you! This suggests that Lili living with you is more in her interests than to be with her father. And the only person other than your daughter who has any rights over Lili is her father Michael. So who do you think you are? Lili’s saviour or an even grander person? You are actually a misguided old man who is participating in serious crimes in the delusional belief that you are justified in doing so. But then I do not know much about you past. You have written an untruthful letter in the social media. Besides the usual lies about Michael, your letter tries to demonise me by relating “facts” that are devoid of truth. I take exception to this defamation and consider all your statements to be libellous. I may choose to sue you for this defamation. The statements that you make about my military service are designed to convey the impression that I am a racist and an evil man. I have served my country in a variety of military posts for 50 years and as a volunteer reservist. If you can calculate you will see that whereas my initial 30 years was under to old political dispensation, the next 20 years have been under to new dispensation. We were all fortunate that Nelson Mandela led the enormous and successful (even miraculous) reconciliation effort in 1994 and beyond. We all made peace and now work for the common good of our Country. Have you ever experienced the forgiving of your enemies and then sitting down together to build your country? Obviously you have not. Today I work with senior and general officers of all races and origins in securing our Country’s future. So your small-mindedness and defamatory lies and untruths are just that. When I last laid eyes on you in Font Romeu and before you closed your front door in my face with some departing insults, I told you that you were old enough to know that the wheel in life always turns. It is clear that you would rather not face this reality as you continue to hide away in France or Spain. For how long are you going to continue this madness? And are you willing to suspend your normal life for the rest of your days? I think not, and you will have to come in from the cold. Then you will be sick with worry that you will lose Lili and will never know when Lili’s repatriation to South Africa will be enforced. Beyond that, and by her behaviour and illegal actions, Helene will face the ultimate Divorce Court hearings in South Africa. So what hope do you have that Helene will get permanent custody of Lili. You are all hiding behind the expectation that the French Cassation Court will cancel the order of the Court of Appeal. But what if they do not? Will the concealment of Lili endure for several decades? And how can this be in her interests? In fact it has become clear over the past 4 months that this whole affair and campaign of defiance is not about Lili, but about Helene. You are using Lili as the excuse and as the lever you wish would resolve the culpability of your own daughter. To suggest or believe that you have Lili’s best interests at heart is a bad joke. So even if the Cassation Court cancels the Court of Appeal’s judgement, all that will happen is another Appeal Court hearing. And what makes you think that you will win that case? Will you continue to be a fugitive from justice? You and your family need to think about the long term consequences of your actions. I will give you another piece of advice: Stop this madness and face up to the realities of your position. You are going for broke and that is all that you may be left with! Your Relative (for the time being) by marriage, John Job
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 16:18:26 +0000
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