Kidnap Agony

A BAHRAIN boy has allegedly been kidnapped by relatives in Qatar after his mother was duped into travelling to visit his supposedly sick grandmother.

Briton Rebecca Jones says her 10-year-old son Adam was abducted three weeks ago after, she was invited to visit her late, Qatari ex-husband's family.

The 43-year-old left Bahrain with Adam on October 3, leaving behind her husband of five years, Barrie, and the couple's four-year-old daughter Alex.

She told the GDN from Doha yesterday that they spent two enjoyable days with the family, who were the "perfect hosts".

However, on the day they were due to return home, Mrs Jones received a call at their hotel requesting Adam be allowed to visit his ill grandmother.

She agreed and a driver was arranged to pick him up.

Mrs Jones said Adam called her to confirm he had arrived at the house safely and was told he would return after an hour.

Instead, she was called by one of Adam's uncles who asked to meet her to deal with an issue surrounding Adam's inheritance and only then did she find out she had been tricked.

"I went to a government office with my son's uncle to sign some inheritance papers, while my son was visiting his grandmother. But he was taken by the time I came back," Mrs Jones told the GDN.

"They (relatives) told me the papers I was going to sign were for my son's inheritance, but I refused to do so because they were in Arabic.

"Then one of my son's uncles, who has maintained a good relationship with us, assured me that the papers were about a piece of land my son and his grandmother owned, which they wanted to divide.

"Of course, I agreed because I had no reason to doubt them but after I signed it I was told that they had tricked me and this was a court order to take my son away."

A panicked Mrs Jones rushed to the grandmother's house, but Adam was not there.

The next day her husband flew in from Bahrain and the couple filed kidnapping allegations with police and the Qatari Public Prosecution.

Mr and Mrs Jones have been staying in Doha since then to fight their case, leaving Alex in Bahrain with her nanny.

Mrs Jones moved to Bahrain in 1988 and married Adam's father 10 years later.

Adam was born the following year, but the coupled divorced in late 1999.

Adam's father returned to Qatar, but visited Bahrain frequently, until he was killed in a motorbike accident in Qatar in November 2005.

Mrs Jones said she stayed in touch with his family and had taken Adam to visit relatives in Qatar several times since his father's death.

"A month ago I received a call from an uncle to visit Qatar to see the grandmother, as she was sick," said Mrs Jones.

She said she travelled to Doha with Adam, never for a minute suspecting that they were being lured into a trap.

Now she is in agony, but determined to get Adam back.

"I don't know how he is or where he is. But my late husband's relatives have indirectly indicated that my son is with them," said the Sheffield-born mum.

"I know who took my son and I won't leave until I get him back."

During their fight to get their son back, Mrs Jones was informed that the 77-year-old grandmother had filed for full custody over Adam.

The custody case goes before a Qatari court tomorrow, where Mr and Mrs Jones will be pleading for Adam to be handed back.

It is understood the Qatari family had originally planned to file the case in 2008 but as Mrs Jones wasn't in Qatar, they were unable to get a court order to take the child.

"I can't believe they are allowed to take him without any piece of documentation and that I have no rights as his mother," she said.

"I have had no contact with my son. They took away his mobile phone and won't let me speak to him.

"This is a devastating time for our family because I am sick with worry and I can't imagine life without him.

"All I want right now is to get my son back, I begged the family to let me see him but they refused.

"I will never give up the fight until the day I die."

"Alex is not aware of what's going on but she has started to become very unsettled," said Mrs Jones.

"She hasn't seen me for almost a month and she keeps asking about her brother. She misses him and loves him dearly.

"We just want this nightmare to be over."

Mr Jones said police had tried to get Adam back from the Qatari relatives but found Adam was not around.

"This has torn our family apart. I have a daughter in Bahrain, a wife in Qatar and a son - I don't know where," he said.

"This is very frustrating because we have tried all possible options to get him back but they are hopeless."

Mr Jones said the couple had no idea how long it could take to get Adam back.

The boy was a pupil at St Christopher's Junior School and it is understood his abductor has been looking at sending him to a school in Qatar.

It is understood Adam has been told he is on vacation and his parents will come for him soon.

"But I know my son is definitely distressed by now. He's never been away from us for even a day," said Mrs Jones.

"This has ruined our lives."

Mrs Jones' mother, sister and brother, who all live in Australia, have flown to Qatar to show their support for the family.