An Irish father who claims that the Polish State has “stolen” his daughter has now been given a scheduled hearing date to examine his allegations regarding the lack of action by Irish authorities in helping secure her return, reports Breaking News.
The man, who cannot be named to safeguard the child’s identity, told the High Court on Tuesday that Polish officials—whom he accuses of “severe corruption”—had “declared war” on him.
He is seeking High Court orders compelling the Irish State to intervene at the “highest EU levels” to assist with the return of his daughter, an Irish citizen, accusing the authorities of neglecting the rights of a particularly vulnerable child, reports Breaking News.
The court previously heard that the child’s mother brought her to Poland, her home country, in February 2024 without the father’s approval.
Despite a Polish court ruling directing that the girl be brought back to Ireland, he has been unable to locate her, the court has been told, reports Breaking News.
The Polish decision, which the Irish State has accepted, is currently undergoing its second appeal by the children’s ombudsman in Poland.
The father has launched proceedings against the Taoiseach, the Minister for Justice, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, reports Breaking News.
He alleges that the Department of Foreign Affairs has shown “utter weakness and abdication in the face of a foreign state seizing one of its children and trampling over a father’s rights”.
He says he has held a valid return order since last May and travelled to Poland 11 times attempting to find and retrieve his daughter, reports Breaking News.
He claims, however, that the child “is nowhere to be found” and says he has been accused of filing a false missing-person report with Polish police.
At Tuesday’s hearing, the man told Mr Justice Garrett Simons that he had recently corresponded with Polish authorities and possessed documents from both the Department of Foreign Affairs and Polish officials that he says contradict State claims of being unaware of them, reports Breaking News.
“This is the Polish State stealing my child. They have put death on me and on my family, and my child is in danger,” he said, reports Breaking News.
“I am 626 days without my child,” the man said, reports Breaking News.
The father claims that documents from Polish authorities indicate his daughter was subjected to “illegal drugs” administered by a hospital with his wife’s authorisation as part of her medical treatment, reports Breaking News.
He states that “Polish police had her [his wife] in custody and released her”.
He further alleges “severe corruption” based on documents he has received and says he is caught in a situation of “political ping pong” because the Irish State “don’t know what is going on and I am not continuing to do their own homework”, reports Breaking News.
Lawyers representing the State told Mr Justice Simons that their defence would be submitted by close of business tomorrow and acknowledged the urgency of the matter, noting that it raised “significant” legal issues.
The man reiterated that he has been “626 days” without seeing his daughter, reports Breaking News.
The hearing is scheduled for December and is expected to run for one day.
In October, the man—who is representing himself—said he no longer wished to participate in the case, despite the court ruling in his favour and rejecting a State attempt to have it struck out. Mr Justice Simons, however, granted him two weeks to reconsider, reports Breaking News.
State lawyers have argued that the enforcement of the Polish court order rests with Polish authorities and that it is not the role of the Irish State to intervene.
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