◎羅彥傑

Two children who had lived in the Netherlands’ embassy in Damascus, Syria, for nearly six months as part of an international custody battle were returning to the Netherlands this week, the Foreign Ministry said, resolving a case that highlighted cultural differences between the two countries.

外交部說，兩名因為一場國際監護權之爭而滯留荷蘭駐敘利亞大馬士革使館近6個月的兒童，本週將返回荷蘭，解決一場凸顯兩國文化差異的案子。

"The breakthrough came after months of intensive talks between Dutch and Syrian authorities," the ministry said in a statement.

「這項突破是荷蘭與敘利亞當局密集談判數月後所達成，」該部在聲明中說。

Ammar, 13, and Sara, 11, are the dual-nationality children of divorced Dutch mother Janneke Schoonhoven and Syrian father Hisham al-Hafez. Dutch courts had awarded Schoonhoven custody over the kids, but they traveled to Syria with al-Hafez during a vacation in 2004 and never came back.

13歲的安瑪和11歲的莎拉，是已經離婚的荷蘭籍母親詹妮克．史庫禾溫與敘利亞籍父親哈費茲的小孩，擁有雙重國籍。荷蘭法院已將小孩的監護權判給史庫禾溫，但他們在2004年隨哈費茲前往敘利亞度假，自此未歸。

According to the children’s mother, the pair slipped away from their father and took a cab to the embassy in June 2006, hoping to be able to return to the Netherlands.

兒童的母親指出，兩人在2006年6月悄悄離開父親，然後搭計程車前往大使館，希望能返回荷蘭。

But al-Hafez said they had been kidnapped, and insisted they be released into his care. Syrian law favors the father in such situations.

但哈費茲說他們是遭人綁架，堅稱他們應該獲釋，由他來照顧。依照敘利亞法律，父親在類似情況都會取得比較有利的地位。

新聞辭典

custody：監護權，亦可指保管、羈押。例句：In the divorce settlement, the mother was given custody of the children.（根據離婚協議，孩子的監護權歸母親。）

cab：計程車，同taxi。例句：Can you please telephone for a cab？（可不可以請你打電話叫計程車？）

slip away from：片語，悄悄溜走。例句：The thief slipped away from the crowd.（小偷悄悄自人群中溜走。）