Australian mother and television crew charged for child kidnapping

Prosecutors in Lebanon have filed charges against an Australian TV crew held over an attempt to abduct two children in a custody dispute.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab & agencies

13 April, 2016

The two children were out with their grandmother in Beirut when abducted [AFP]

A Lebanese court has charged an Australian mother and four Australian television journalists over the abduction of her two children in Beirut.

Sally Faulkner was among nine people charged on Tuesday "for kidnapping the two children and for taking part in the crime."

Four members of a television crew that were filming with the mother for a programme called "60 Minutes" broadcast on Australia's Channel Nine, were also charged.

A statement from Channel Nine confirmed that its journalists "are facing being charged with offences related to kidnapping."

Tara Brown, producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson and sound recordist David Ballment were identified as members of the crew.

A spokeswoman for Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the allegations would now be considered by an investigative judge.

"The Foreign Minister has maintained discussions with her counterpart Minister [Gebran] Bassil regarding this case," the spokeswoman said.

Faulkner was arrested by Lebanese authorities last week after an attempted "child recovery" operation, allegedly involving a gunman and assault on a grandmother.

She is accused of allegedly kidnapping her two young children, who were staying in Beirut with their Lebanese father when the incident took place.

Both children, who Australian media said are a six-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy, are now with their father in a southern Beirut suburb.