Custody Case Child Is Said Found Safe in New Zealand

Seven-year-old Hilary Foretich, whose mother spent more than two years in jail rather than let her visit her father, reportedly has been found safe in the custody of her maternal grandparents in New Zealand.

The daughter of Dr. Elizabeth Morgan was found at a motel in Christchurch with her grandparents, WRC-TV reported Friday.

District of Columbia police spokesman Quintin Peterson said police were attempting to confirm that the girl was in New Zealand.

But Sgt. Russell Hawks, a detective investigating the case in New Zealand, said she had been living in the city “for some time.”

“She’s fine, in a healthy state, no problems there at all,” Hawks said in an interview.

Another police official told the Associated Press that the case was already before a family-court judge and that the girl was in the custody of the grandparents. He declined to be specific about the case, and would not confirm that the girl in question was Hilary.

Morgan and Foretich were not immediately available for comment. Hilary’s court-appointed guardian, Linda Holman, and one of Morgan’s attorneys, Adrian Roe, had no comment.

Morgan spent 25 months in jail for civil contempt of court rather than disclose the girl’s whereabouts. She maintained that Hilary’s father, Dr. Eric Foretich, had sexually abused the girl, and she refused to give him court-ordered visitation rights. Foretich has denied abusing the child.

Morgan was released from jail in September after President Bush signed a law limiting civil contempt in District of Columbia child-abuse cases to 12 months.

A reporter for Radio New Zealand, Jill Gallop, told the television station that police had confirmed that Hilary and her grandparents, Morgan’s parents, have been in Christchurch for three years. The grandparents last year sought permission to live in New Zealand permanently, she said.

The girl’s identity was revealed when New Zealand authorities checked with U.S. officials to determine if there were any outstanding court orders pertaining to the child, Gallop said.

A spokeswoman for a Morgan support group said the group was upset that Hilary had been found.

“We hope New Zealand will give her sanctuary,” said Alice Monroe of the Friends of Elizabeth Morgan. “There’s no reason for her to be sent back here.”

Morgan has vowed that she would go without seeing her daughter until the girl turned 18, if necessary to protect her.

Foretich has created a fund and appealed for donations to pay for efforts to search for his daughter. He said the costs of his legal battle with Morgan and fees charged by previous private investigators have left him financially strapped.