A man was today acquitted of failing to return his daughter to her mother but the couple were admonished by their magistrate for registering their children as having an unknown father to claim social benefits.

The couple cannot be named by court order.

The case dates back to September, 2004, when according to the father his daughter refused to go back to her mother, who had an alcohol problem, because she would be beaten up.

The father sought legal advice and went to Appoġġ before refusing to let his daughter go back to live with her mother.

During proceedings, social workers testified about the mother’s behaviour and how she had an alcohol problem and would hit her daughter.

In his judgment, the magistrate said that irrefutable proof was presented to prove that the daughter was unlawfully held by her father.

However, he “deplored” the couple’s behaviour in registering their daughters’ father as unknown and “urged” the police to take note of it.