Custody battle over Manuela resolved

Custody battle over Manuela resolved

Agence France Presse Sydney

A Sydney policeman on Friday gave up an emotional custody battle with an Italian rival over a five-year-old girl who was critically hurt in the Sept. 9 bombing of Australia's embassy in Jakarta.

Australian David Norman and Italian Manual Musu both claimed to be the biological father of the girl, Manny, whose Indonesian mother was one of at least nine people killed in the suicide bombing.

After three weeks of fighting for custody of the girl, the rival dads issued a joint statement Friday saying Manny would live with Musu in Italy.

"We have both come to the decision that Manny will be returning to Italy to resume her normal life," Musu said in the statement.

"We both feel this is in the best interest of Manny's recovery."

Despite having battled to bring Manny to Australia, Norman said he had finally realized she would be better off with Musu and his family.

"Manny will be returning to Italy with Manuel to resume her normal life, as I feel this will help with her recovery from her injuries and the loss of her mother," he said.

"I have come to respect and admire Manuel -- with the way he has handled this difficult situation, he has shown me that he is a devoted and loving father," he said.

"As much as I would dearly love to rear Manny and see her grow up on a daily basis, I am willing, in her best interests, to let her return to the life she had in Italy."

The girl has Australian, Italian and Indonesian citizenship and had been going to the embassy in Jakarta to collect her first Australian passport when the suicide bomber struck.

Manny, whose real name is Elisabeth Manuela Musu, has been recovering in a Singapore hospital from critical injuries suffered in the bombing. A head injury is expected to leave her with some brain damage.

While both men claimed paternity, the Australian government said a DNA test done before Manny was granted Australian citizenship proved Norman was her biological father. The Musu family countered with claims that the DNA documents proving paternity were forged.

Norman said money he had received from a media interview, as well as donated funds, would be set up in a trust fund for Manny to help with her future needs.

GetAFP 2.10 -- OCT 1, 2004 16:48:57