Former actress allegedly snatches son in Malaysia
Malaysian police are reportedly investigating an Australian actress who allegedly abducted her son from her estranged partner at a restaurant in Malaysia last Thursday.
Former Neighbours actress Eliza Szonert, 41, was accompanied by two burly men when she went to snatch her son from her former partner, Australian musician and businessman Ashley Crick.
Kuala Lumpur police deputy chief Law Hong Soon said Mr Crick made a report at the Brickfields police headquarters on Thursday night, The Rakyat Post reported.
"I think this case is more towards a family conflict," Deputy Commissioner Law told Bernama.
Ms Szonert took her son (age unknown) to Kuala Lumpur to visit Mr Crick, but she alleged that the arrangement turned sour and she was kicked out of their shared accommodation after a disagreement.
He allegedly refused to hand over her passport and refused to let her see their son, reported the Sydney Morning Herald.
VIDEO
After appealing to the Australian High Commission, Ms Szonert said she enlisted the help of child recovery experts. The trio found her son at a suburban mall where she picked him up and quickly walked away.
The incident was captured on video, which showed it took just 15 seconds for Ms Szonert to walk into the restaurant, pick up her son and briskly walk out again. Mr Crick was left standing and talking to one of the men who accompanied her.
After the incident, Ms Szonert said she was still stranded in Malaysia without travel documents as both mother and son's passports were with Mr Crick.
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it had been providing consular assistance to an Australian woman in Kuala Lumpur, but could not give further detail due to privacy concerns.
When contacted by Fairfax Media last Thursday, Mr Crick said he was "just focused on my son's well being".
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