Custody Battle Over Iti Gets More Complicated

The international custody dispute over a Villa Park High basketball player took another twist Monday when a spokesman for the player’s mother said she plans to travel from Australia to Southern California to fight for guardianship of her son.

Legine Lovinia Paraita, the mother of Martin Iti, a 6-foot-11 junior, will attempt to wrest custody of her son from a local guardian during an ongoing custody trial in Orange County Superior Court, according to Edward Smith, a friend of Paraita’s.

If she wins custody, Smith said, Paraita plans to stay in the United States so her son can complete his high school basketball career. This is a departure from her position in late May, when she demanded guardian Courtney Rosegreen relinquish control of Iti and allow him to return to Sydney.

“Her basic position is this: She wants to be the guardian of her son,” Smith said. “She’s going to make arrangements to stay in the U.S. with her son for the rest of his high school career. . . . She just doesn’t want Courtney Rosegreen associated with him.”

In her statement, Paraita claimed Iti had “suffered mental abuse as well as brainwashing” while in Rosegreen’s custody.

Rosegreen denied any wrongdoing, and Iti quickly came to his defense.

As expected, Orange County Superior Court Judge James Gray on Monday continued the custody trial until Sept. 5. Ronald E. Lais, who in June filed the petition for guardianship on behalf of Rosegreen, requested the continuance.

No one appeared in court Monday on behalf of Paraita, described by Smith as a woman of modest means who doesn’t have a telephone.

Smith said Paraita plans to use money from the pending sale of a recently deceased aunt’s home in New Zealand to travel to the U.S. and fight for custody.

Until this point, Lais had hoped to continue the trial until Iti turns 18 on Feb. 28, at which time the court has no power to determine guardianship.

“If there’s a serious challenge to the guardianship petition,” Lais said, “that changes my strategy. We’ve been operating under the assumption that there’s not going to be a serious challenge.”