A cross-continental custody battle has been resolved in favour of a Dutch mother, who fled Australia with her daughter to escape her abusive former partner. The case has highlighted issues with international child abduction laws, which were used to return the girl to her father.
Exhausted, but relieved, after 17 long months, "Petra" - whose real name can't be used for legal reasons - is leaving the Family Court in Brisbane for the last time.
In a battle that began in the Netherlands two years ago, Petra, a Dutch national, has been fighting for the custody of her two-year old daughter.
Her former partner, an Australian man, was arrested for assaulting Petra on holiday in The Netherlands in 2016. He flew back to Australia three days later. She chose to stay in her home country with their young child, fearing for their safety.
However, even from Australia, her partner was able to get back into their lives. He invoked the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction, claiming the mother had abducted their child. Petra says it forced her and her daughter to go back to Australia.
