Page 89 of Grave Danger
She didn’t answer.
“What is he doing with the scissors?”
She started to tremble.
“Did you see what he did with the scissors, Yasmin?”
She was trembling, but she managed a little nod.
“Yasmin, what did he do with the scissors?”
Her eyes welled, and a sudden scream filled the courtroom. “Mommy!”
Farid launched from his chair. “Thisneverhappened!” he shouted.
It was the first and only time Farid had displayed a temper in these proceedings, and Yasmin cowered on the witness stand. Farid’s lawyer tried to reel him in, almost forcing him back into his seat, but she addressed the court with equal anger.
“Judge, this is outrageous! This child has obviously been coached!”
Jack remained seated, so as not to overwhelm Yasmin, but he spoke forcefully. “Judge, there has been no coaching. That was the whole point of the process you adopted here. Yasmin drew the picture alone in your chambers, and she was immediately put on the witness stand to answer questions about it, having spent no time alone with me or my client to prepare.”
“I demand the right to cross-examine,” said Beech.
The psychiatrist rose—to protect Yasmin from further trauma, Jack presumed—but the judge was one step ahead of everyone else.
“We’re not going to do that,” the judge said.
“But you said I would have the right to question the witness,” said Beech.
“Obviously, the circumstances have changed,” the judge said, and then he put on his grandfatherly face to address the witness.
“You’re a brave girl, Yasmin. Dr. Emanuel is going to take you back to my chambers, and you’ll be safe there.”
The doctor followed the judge’s directive. She and Yasmin disappeared through the side door to the chambers. Judge Carlton continued.
“To be clear, I am not going to make a finding on the record that Farid Bazzi murdered Ava Bazzi, his first wife. I won’t even go so far as to find that Mr. Bazzi stabbed or otherwise physically harmed her. But it is clear enough from the testimony today that Mr. Bazzi threatened or otherwise ‘abused’ Ava for cutting her hair in protest of the hijab laws. The key point is that the abuse—whatever form it took—was done in the presence of the child. Witnessing the abuse of the mother constitutes grave danger of psychological harm to a child within the meaning of the Hague Convention—which is a complete defense against a father’s claim of unlawful abduction.”
Zahra’s grip on Jack’s arm tightened. She could read the tea leaves as well as he could.
“This court finds that returning the child, Yasmin Bazzi, to her father, Farid Bazzi, would put the child at grave risk of physical or psychological harm. I therefore rule in favor of the respondent, Zahra Bazzi. We are adjourned,” he said, ending with a crack of his gavel.
The bailiff gave the command to rise, but both sides were already standing.
“It’s over?” Zahra asked, breathless.
“It’s over,” Jack whispered.
His client shrieked so loudly that Jack’s ears started ringing.
“Order, please,” the judge said.
Jack got his client under control. The judge stepped down from the bench and exited to his chambers. Before Zahra could say “Thank you,” Farid’s lawyer crossed quickly to Jack’s side of the courtroom for a lawyer-to-lawyer moment.
“This is far from over, Swyteck.”
“Yeah, good luck with your appeal,” said Jack.
“Appeal? Right,” she said with a smirk. “You really don’t know how this game is played, do you?”